Out of My League
by yattsy
Summary: At twenty-four years old, Sakura Haruno is an accomplished, ambitious, and headstrong young woman interning at one of the world's most prestigious hospitals while simultaneously working as the secretary of Uchiha Corporation's CEO and President, Sasuke Uchiha. Her goal: proving her independence. Her dream: becoming a world-class surgeon.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I have to get this out of my head. I'm going to start this story and I'm giving you a fair warning now, it's going to go as far as my imagination will take me. I don't have any outline made for this one because I'm too impatient and lazy to make one. I'm going to let my imagination guide my way and hopefully, it'll turn out to be a good story. This is me being spontaneous and purely organic.

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, Apple, or Chevrolet, but I do own this idea. Please don't steal it!

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**Prologue**

Who knew that one person could change your life in so many ways and on so many levels? Certainly not me and certainly not the people I cared about. I mean sure, there's your soul mate and what not, but really, one person? I guess it's understandable because I mean, when you love someone, you're willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they're happy, right? Even if it means you need to sacrifice your own happiness in the process, right? But damn, it sure hurts like a mother hugger sacrificing your own happiness. I dug a hole for myself filled with poop and it's all because of one man, Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Sweetie, are you sure about this? I mean, it's not like you're poor or anything, no offense to the impoverished, so why do you feel the need to work?"

I roll my eyes in annoyance from my mother's constant worrying. For the past week ever since I applied for a part-time job as a secretary for the President and CEO of Uchiha Corporations, my mother has been trying, in vain, to persuade me to not take the job opportunity, and her reasons are absolutely ridiculous! I mean c'mon, being poor has nothing to do with working. Well, for some it might which is perfectly alright, but really, money? Working is not always about the money, especially for me.

I want to work simply for the gratification and the feeling of knowing that I can support myself. It's part of who I am and it's part of me trying to be independent. Ever since I was young my parents have spoiled me with everything I've ever wanted, which I'm beyond thankful for, but I'm tired of it and I think it's time that I supported myself, so why couldn't my parents understand that?

"Darling, your mother and I have worked our asses off to make sure you live the happiest, most wonderful life possible, so there is absolutely no need for you to work for some stranger, who, on another note, could potentially be a crazy lunatic!"

Ugh, my parents just don't understand.

"I know dad and I'm grateful that you guys have given me everything I've ever wanted, but I need to learn to be independent sometime, and what better way than to work while I'm in college?"

I'm currently enrolled as a graduate student at Konoha University's prestigious Senju College of Medicine in New York City, New York. I'm in my eighth year of college and fourth year of med school. Basically, I'm about to graduate from med school and continue my studies as a surgical intern at Konoha Grace Hospital. My dream is to surpass the legendary surgeon Tsunade and become one of the world's best, if not the best, cardiothoracic, neurological, and pediatric surgeon. I know it sounds like a lot of subspecialties to pursue, but I know I can do it.

When I was five, my mother gave birth to a baby boy with heart problems who passed away when he was only two years old. Of course, I didn't know it was heart problems back then, but I found out when I was about thirteen years old; thus, the reason why I want to specialize in cardiothoracic and pediatric surgery. I want to save the lives of people who suffer from heart problems and the lives of infants and toddlers who haven't been given a fair shot at living in this wretched but wonderful world of ours. I want to be a neurological surgeon because my favorite cousin died from a brain injury when we were both seven, the same year my baby brother died. One can only imagine the kind of suffering and torment inflicted upon a little seven year old girl from losing her baby brother and closest cousin in the same year.

Thankfully, their deaths affected me in a positive way, and on the day I graduated from high school I vowed to myself that I would be the best surgeon I could be with a less than one percent death rate in surgery. I don't want people to suffer the same kind of sadness I had to endure when I lost my brother and cousin.

"But Sakura dear, you're only twenty-four!"

My mom says twenty-four but she treats me like I'm thirteen. Twenty-four sounds too young to be graduating from med school, but I skipped grades four and five when I was in the third grade, so I graduated from high school at the young age of sixteen. Yup, I am most definitely intelligent.

"Mom, did you not hear what you just said? I'm twenty-four! Most twenty-four year olds would already have their MD and stable jobs, yet here I am about to graduate from med school, as valedictorian no less, and begin my internship at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world!"

Please get it mom, please.

"If you're about to start your internship at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world, then why do you still want to work as a secretary for a corporation?"

Ugh, she didn't get it but she does have a good point. Why do I want to work as a secretary for one of the most successful businesses in the nation if I'm going to begin my internship at Konoha Grace? Hmm, I really have to think about it and bite my lower lip. Sometimes, I believe biting my lower lip helps me think, but other times I think it's just a natural habit of mine.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I do know I want to prove something to myself."

My mom throws her arms up in exasperation and I catch my dad run a tired hand through his blood red locks. For a moment, I vaguely wonder how hair as red as his could lead to cotton candy pink hair like mine. It must be due to my mother's exceptionally light brown hair.

"You don't know? Sweetie, what exactly do you need to prove to yourself?"

What do I need to prove to myself? I need to prove that I can be self-sufficient and that I can fully take care of myself.

"I need to prove that I can take care of myself. I want to be independent."

"Okay fine, but why are you doing your internship and working as a secretary? It makes no sense! You can't do it Sakura." My mom just called me by my first name which means she's serious. Wait, did she just tell me I can't do it?

"It's too hard. I know that interns have twenty-four hour shifts. Sometimes, they're forty-eight hours. Where on earth are you going to find the time to work as a secretary? I'm telling you now Sakura, you can't do it."

Yes, my ears were not mistaken. She did say I couldn't do it. Well, I'm just going to have to prove her wrong.

"Then I'll make time! I haven't even gotten the job yet. How will I know if I can do it or not if I haven't even had the chance to try? I can do it mom. Trust me, I can do it." I puff out my chest and give my mom the most determined look I could muster, hoping she'd finally surrender and put an end to her useless worrying. She stares back at me with equally determined eyes. Emerald clashes with emerald, only I know my eyes are a deeper shade of green. After what feels like an eternity, but is actually a span of thirty seconds, my mom closes her eyes and her shoulders slump in defeat with a tired sigh. I would have whooped for joy right then and there if I wasn't a mature adult about to embark on her journey as an intern at a hospital with a five-point-eight death percentile rate. Instead, I wrap my arms around my mom's neck and give her a soft kiss on the cheek while another me jumps and cartwheels in my mind.

"Thanks mom."

"Yeah, yeah, I concede but on one condition." Jeez, she always has to have a condition. My mini me inside my head stops mid-cartwheel on her hands and falls onto her back.

I unwrap myself from my mom and stare at her warily. Usually, whenever my mom makes conditions, they're almost always numerous conditions melded into one long condition.

"You have to promise me that if you feel like you can't handle it anymore, or if I see that your health is deteriorating because of the work load, you must quit your job as a secretary and focus solely on your internship." She stares at me pointedly.

"But mom-!"

"Do you understand me young lady?" Her eyes were glinting emeralds with the hardness of diamonds. I sigh in defeat, and my alter ego folds her arms across her chest and pouts. Goddamn my mom is so pushy.

"Fine, I promise." I grumble lowly, not happy at all that my mom has successfully gotten her way, though small, but her way nonetheless. How am I supposed to be independent if my mom can still affect me like this?

"Good, now can I please set the table for dinner, or do you have other ambitions you'd like to surprise me with?"

Just to mess with her and humor myself, I rub my chin and look upwards at the ceiling in a thinking pose. When I look back at my mom, her eyes are wide and fearful. Jeez mom, I'm ambitious but not that ambitious.

"Relax mom, I don't have anything else up my sleeve, so you can go ahead and finish setting the table."

My mom releases the breath she was holding in. Is it that bad of me to want to be independent and self-sufficient? I shake my head to clear my mind of depressing thoughts and help my mom finish prepping the table. First I set the eating mats, then the plates, the spoons and forks, knives, napkins, and finally the drinking glasses. It doesn't hurt that I also know how to cook, clean, and do my own laundry.

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After dinner I kiss my mom and dad on their cheeks, mutter a soft "thank you," and head up to my room to work on my speech for graduation. Ah, such is the obligation of being valedictorian, but I'm not complaining. I happen to be very competitive in everything. Striving to be valedictorian was no exception.

I thank God every single day that I was born into a prosperous, well off family. We're not exactly practically-fifty-percent-of-our-house-is-made-of- gold rich, but we have enough to live comfortable, worry free lives.

I live in a large family home located in the suburbs of east Miami. It has five bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, but I'm an only child and it's only my parents and me living in the house. Sometimes I ask my parents why they felt like they needed to buy such a big house with only three people in our household, and every time my mom would say, "It's not that we needed to, we wanted to."

Although I think it's totally unnecessary to purchase a large family home with only one child, I'm still grateful.

My room is located on the second floor next to the den, or as my dad likes to call it, his "man cave." Hmm, men are strange. My room isn't the standard girl's room. I don't have brightly painted walls or posters of naked famous men, and I certainly don't have frilly objects. I shudder to think if my room was ever like that. Instead, my room's walls are white with one accent wall painted a deep burgundy. My floors are a deep colored wood and my furnishings are simple like me.

Once I'm in my room I head straight for my sleek and silver MacBook Pro sitting on my desk, and I fire it up. As I wait for the welcome screen to show up I think about what I want to say in my speech. I want it to be short, to the point, humorous, and unique without all the clichés of speech-making. If there's one thing I'm not good at, it's speaking in front of large crowds. I groan loudly as I fire up Microsoft Word and begin my hopefully awe-inspiring speech. Jeez, whoever started the tradition of speech making at graduations is so lame at this moment.

* * *

It's the first morning after graduation, I'm lying on my bed, and I feel so giddy with many different emotions: happiness, excitement, and contentment just to name a few. Graduation was, for lack of a better term, emotional. I usually don't cry for any apparent reason, small or big, but a few tears did slip down my cheek against my will yesterday. In one curt sentence, all the graduating med students were ecstatic to finally be done with med school, and everyone loved my speech. It turns out, imagining everyone in the audience wearing nothing but underwear can really help a person deliver an amazing speech.

After graduation my parents took me out to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant in east Miami. It's a cute little niche in the wall, a modest family-run business that serves authentic, delicious Italian food at reasonable prices, and it fits my style perfectly. I was able to peacefully eat dinner yesterday without having to worry about whether someone from my school was going to walk in every second. That's the beauty of niches in the wall: they're niches in the wall so no one really knows about them. Don't get me wrong, I love people, especially kids, but there are some aspects of my life that I enjoy alone or with my select precious people.

I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. It seems so unreal that just eight years ago I graduated from high school with the dream to become a surgeon, and now I'm an Alumni of KU's Senju College of Medicine and about to begin the final stage of fulfilling my dream. Of course, reality will come crashing down again when I begin my internship at Konoha Grace Hospital, but I'm willing to bask in my after-graduation bliss for three more days, which is how many days I have left until I begin my internship. Whoever said the adult life sucked wasn't kidding, it sucks.

I close my eyes and begin to drift off into sleep, but something pulls at my mind and stirs my thoughts. It eggs me to open my eyes and stay awake, as if I have something important to take care of. I furrow my brows in thought, my eyes still shut closed, and bite my bottom lip as I try to recall if there's some kind of major event happening today. It's the day after graduation, so what could I possibly do today? I mull over it for several more seconds before I shoot up in bed, wide-eyed and alert.

I can feel the panic slowly building as I snatch my iPhone 4S from my bedside table and check my calendar. It says yesterday was graduation and today is, oh damn, today is my interview with the President and CEO of Uchiha Corporations at eight am! My eyes zone in on the time in the upper right-hand corner of my iPhone's screen and I almost scream when it reads seven-thirty am. Hastily I jump out of bed, uncaring of my messy sheets, and sprint into my bathroom to quickly wash my face and brush my teeth.

I groan loudly as I plunge my toothbrush into my mouth and vigorously pump it up and down. How could I have forgotten? Ugh, it's the high of graduating from med school. It made me forget. Jesus, I'm going to take one step into Mr. Uchiha's office and be told to get lost.

Vaguely, I wonder why I have a direct interview with Mr. CEO-President-Uchiha himself instead of HR. It's odd, strange, and unorthodox to say the least. Why would the CEO and President of a multi-billion dollar company conduct interviews directly with his potential employees? It just doesn't make sense.

I banish the thoughts from my mind and focus on getting ready. Running into my closet, I snatch the professional outfit I planned weeks ago from its hanger and put it on. It's nothing fancy, just a charcoal gray pencil skirt and blazer with a white blouse underneath, and matching charcoal pumps. I put nothing on my face because I despise make-up. The revolting substances feel thick and heavy on my skin. Chancing a quick look in the mirror, I see that my hair is in disarray and weigh my two options to either fix it, or leave it as it is. I choose the second option. I've never really cared about my appearance. I don't need or care about other people's opinions of what I look like. As long as I know who I am and what I want in life, then I'm straight.

With my pumps in hand, I run down the stairs and to the front door, almost colliding into my mom on the way there.

"Ah, Sakura sweetie you scared me. Why are you in such a rush?" My mom looks at me confusingly, but I only give her a one-worded answer, "Interview."

Thankfully, it's enough to remind her of my ambitions and she continues on with whatever task had her preoccupied.

My dad is already at work so I don't have to worry about saying goodbye to him. Once I'm at the door I ram my feet into my pumps and yell out a goodbye to my mom before I practically rip the front door open and run as fast as I can to my car.

I drive a pearl white Chevrolet Volt. It's nothing fancy like an expensive sports car, but it's my car and I chose it for various reasons. One of them is because I am a firm advocate of protecting and preserving the environment and limited resources of planet Earth. I mean, if humans want to continue procreating on Earth, they're going to need to make sure it's still going to exist in the next millennia or so. Another reason I chose my car is because of the fact that I don't like flashy things. I'm not trying and will never try to impress anyone, so what's the point?

I push fifty on the residential streets and ninety on the freeway. I glance at my car's dashboard clock. It reads seven-forty. Hmm, it's not bad for waking up at seven-thirty. If I continue to push ninety I might be able to make it to the parking lot by seven-fifty which will give me ten minutes to make it to Mr. Uchiha's office. I just hope I don't get pulled over by the NYPD.

It seems God pities me this morning because no cops stop me on my insane one hundred miles per hour driving rush. I realized at seven-forty-five that I wasn't going to make it by seven-fifty if I kept at ninety, so I boosted to one hundred. It's amazing how my fuel efficient, earth friendly Chevy Volt can breeze like a sports car. Hmm, suck it fancy sport cars! My car is fuel efficient and a beast on the road. I can't believe I just thought that. The adrenaline must be getting to me.

My calculations are correct because I arrive at the parking lot at exactly seven-fifty. Well, seven-fifty-one but I still count it as seven-fifty.

When I run into the lobby of Uchiha Corporations' main headquarters building, the breath is knocked right out of my lungs. The building is magnificent. Four stone pillars are placed smartly around the lobby to make it appear as if they're holding up the rest of the building. Giant, ornate crystal chandeliers sparkle brilliantly and hang from the lobby's high ceilings. As I click-clack to the front desk I notice that the ground is a mosaic of glossy black and white marble tiles with veins of solid gold running in between them. My mouth literally drops open when I catch sight of a fountain with bubbling water in the exact center of the lobby. I'm unaware that I've reached the front desk, too shocked by the grandeur and majesty of the building, and am brought back to attention when a pretty brunette who looks to be in her mid-thirties coughs loudly. I have to dig my nails into the palms of my hands to completely snap out of my daze.

"May I help you?" Her voice is kind of high-pitched, but warm and kind.

"Um yes, would you please locate me to Mr. Uchiha's office? I have an interview with him at eight am and I'm almost late. Please help me out!" I almost, with emphasis on the almost, beg the last part.

"Oh yes, Ms. Haruno I presume?"

"That's me!"

"Great, your interview will be held on the forty-ninth floor. Go ahead and take any of the elevators, then punch the number forty-nine once you're inside. The receptionist on that floor will direct you from there. Just tell her your name. Our computers have it stored for your interview. Good luck Ms. Haruno." She ends her directions with a kind smile which I gladly reciprocate.

When I approach the elevators, I have to gape for the second time that day. Jesus, even the elevators are made of solid gold. It's insane!

As I'm waiting for the elevator to come, I feel a presence suddenly appear behind me.

"So, where are you headed?" A baritone voice asks me. I turn around and find a really attractive blond man standing with his hands clasped behind his head. He's half a head taller than me, perfectly tan, and has the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen. They remind me of the ocean, dazzling and bright. I'm so lost in his eyes that I forget he asked me a question, and I blush when he has to repeat himself.

"Oh, um, I'm headed for the forty-ninth floor." I decide not to tell him I have an interview with the head honcho, and he thankfully doesn't press for why.

"Cool! I'm headed there too. Do you mind if I share your elevator with you?" He smiles a beautiful, dazzling smile and I almost drool. I'm a real sucker for men with nice smiles. On another note, is he really asking to ride the elevator with me? It's not like I own it or anything.

"Uh, sure." I say a little hesitantly. He frowns.

"You sound like you don't want me to so I'll take the next one."

"Oh no, it's not like that. It's just, I've never been asked by someone if they could share the elevator with me. I mean, it's not like I own it or anything."

The handsome blond man opens his mouth to respond but the ding signaling the elevator's arrival stops him. We both step in, fortunately no one else joins us, and I punch the button with an intricately drawn forty-nine on it.

"What floor?" I ask him out of politeness and good natured humor. He has a good sense of humor too because he starts grinning.

"Why, thanks for asking miss. Floor number forty-nine please!"

"Oh, same floor as me sir!" I laugh as I hit forty-nine again. When I turn to him again he's smiling at me with his beautiful, dazzling smile and I feel saliva building up in my mouth. Jesus, is it me or is it getting hot in this elevator?

Feeling like I should do more than ogle him I initiate the conversation.

"Um, my name is Sakura Haruno. It's nice to meet you!" I offer my hand out to him and he doesn't hesitate to grab it. His hand is big and warm, comforting, and his grip is firm.

"Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, believe it!" He shakes my hand enthusiastically which causes my arm and the rest of my body to shake.

Oh dear, he's hyperactive.

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**So that's the prologue and first chapter! Hopefully, you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Review, follow, or do whatever as long as I know you're at least somewhat interest in my story!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hmm, I don't really have anything to say, so read on!

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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**Chapter 2**

Hmm, so his name is Naruto. It sounds like such a childish name for a man. In fact, I think it's the name of those fish cakes some restaurants and vendors put in their ramen. However, studying the blond man standing lax before me, Naruto is a fitting name. He has such boyish qualities, from the way he stands to his smile, but it works for him.

I giggle as he continues to shake my hand. He sure is a friendly one. I stop him before his endless shaking causes a rip in my blazer.

"Um, I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but would you please stop shaking my hand? I think my organs are getting all jumbled up."

Naruto's eyes widen before he pulls back his hand as if I've burned him. Oddly enough, I feel slightly guilty and regret telling him that, but he seems unaffected. If anything, he clasps his hands behind his head again and just smiles goofily at me.

"You have a really nice smile." Crap, why did I say that? He's going to think I'm hitting on him.

"Thanks, everybody tells me that. It's how I seduced my wife into marrying me." My eyes widen and my mouth slightly drops open.

Naruto's married?

"You're married?" I can't believe it. He looks so young!

"Believe it, and to the most amazing woman on Earth." I notice how he instantly got brighter when he said the word "amazing." Is she really that amazing?

"That's so," I pause trying to think of an appropriate adjective, "unexpected and surprising." Okay, so I used two adjectives and both don't seem very pleasant to hear, at least if it was my marriage some stranger was commenting on, but I believe honesty is the best policy even if the person you're talking to is a total stranger and could be a psycho robber. The look in Naruto's eyes softens and I'm instantly alert thinking I hurt his feelings.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That was totally out of-!"

"Those two words are so true." I gaze at him cautiously, afraid he's suddenly going to go berserk on me and start screaming profanities at me. He surprises me yet again when he laughs a true, boisterous laugh.

"Why do you look so scared? You haven't offended me if that's what you're concerned about." How did he read my mind? Just because he said he wasn't offended, it doesn't mean I believe him.

"So why are unexpected and surprising so true." If he's not offended, then he shouldn't be afraid to tell me why.

"Because I never imagined someone like her would marry someone like me." Naruto stares at the elevator doors and I can tell he's about to get lost in a world I don't know. I don't need to provoke him to continue talking. The words spill from his lips like the water gushing out of the fountain in the lobby.

"You see, when I was younger, I never did well in school. Most of the time, I'd either be messing around cracking jokes or I'd ditch and go somewhere else. My behavior towards education didn't bode well with Hinata's father." Hmm, Hinata must be the name of his wife. I don't' interrupt him and just wait patiently for him to continue on with his story.

"By the way, my wife's name is Hinata. She's from the Hyuga clan." My eyes widen in disbelief. This guy was married to the Hinata Hyuga, the heiress to the prestigious and noble Hyuga clan? I've never actually seen her but I've heard of her, or rather her clan.

Naruto continues, ignoring my bulging eyes.

"You can just imagine, me trying to court Hinata Hyuga while I was a total misfit in school. Her father wouldn't have any of it." For a moment, I do imagine it. I imagine Naruto trying and failing to ask Hinata out on countless dates, her father watching over her shoulder and denying Naruto permission. I imagine the kind of struggle that must've taken place for Naruto to finally win her. Wait, how did he win her?

"Then finally one day, Hinata mustered up all the courage she had in her shy body and told off her father. I was there as a witness and it was the most amazing, bravest thing I've ever seen her do. At first, I thought her father would go ballistic, but he just smirked and gave her a hug." Okay, I'm confused but melting. His story sounds so cute.

"After a year of being together, her father finally gave us his blessing and we got married. At the reception, he pulled me aside and told me the reason why he allowed our relationship to continue." He pauses and I look at him expectantly, telling him with my expression to continue.

"He said he's been waiting for the one man who could change her, strengthen her, and that when she finally stood up for herself, he knew I was the one man who changed her." Okay, that has got to be the sweetest thing a father could ever say to his son-in-law.

"He also gave me a threat that night." Jeez, talk about bipolar.

"He told me that if I didn't get my act together, he'd revoke his blessing and make my life miserable. Of course, it was to protect Hinata and ensure she lived a happy life. Beginning my sophomore year of college, I tried hard every day in school and graduated with a BS as an honors student." He puffs out his chest in pride.

"What was your major in college?" Judging from the way he's dressed professionally, I'd say he was a business major.

"Business." Bingo. There's still something missing from his story.

"You said it was your smile that seduced Hinata, so how did it work?"

"Oh, on our honeymoon she told me the physical feature she loved most about me is my smile because it brings out my eyes or something like that." Naruto shrugs nonchalantly as if the compliment was something he received on a daily basis, which I'm sure he did.

"It's true." Naruto looks at me with a confused look.

"Your smile. It's true. It really brings out your eyes." I have to fight exceptionally hard to repress the blush that's creeping its way onto my cheeks. Being in an elevator with a hot, adorable man will do that to a girl.

"Thanks! I think you're really pretty." Jesus, he just called me really pretty. Now I know my blush is flaring on my cheeks.

"Um, thank you I guess."

"You're welcome." Naruto gives me one last bright smile before the ding of the elevator signals our arrival to the forty-ninth floor.

The forty-ninth floor is a toned down version of the lobby. It has low ceilings adorned with crystal chandeliers, black and white marble tiles with veins of pure gold, but lacks stone pillars and a fountain. My chat with Naruto caused me to lose track of time, so I rush over to the receptionist stationed several dozen meters from the elevator. I'm aware that Naruto keeps up with me at a leisurely pace, courtesy of his long legs.

"Hi, how may I help you?"

I remember what the receptionist at the lobby told me and immediately respond with my name.

"Sakura Haruno." Hopefully, I'm not late.

"Ah, Ms. Haruno, we've been expecting you. Please head straight down the hall towards that door," she points down a hall, or rather the only place left to go on the forty-ninth floor. It's a long hall, the floor covered by a lush dark red carpet and, from where I'm standing, its walls decorated with large frames.

"Knock before you enter and wait for Mr. Uchiha's permission to enter. Good morning Mr. Uzumaki, how are you?" I don't wait to hear Naruto's reply and make my way down the hall. I can feel vomit rising up in my throat. What if I'm late and Mr. Uchiha reacts in a hostile manner? I don't dwell on it because I'm standing right outside his office door.

I inhale a big gulp of air and raise my hand to knock on the solid mahogany door, but a tanned hand beats me to it and grasps the doorknob. Alarmed, I turn my head to the side and find Naruto standing next to me, one hand in his pocket, the other on the doorknob, and a goofy smile plastered onto his face.

"W-What are you doing?" This man could jeopardize my chances as secretary if he just barges in there! Naruto rolls his eyes at me and opens the door. My mouth drops open. The audacity of this man! He waltzes in as if he owns the place and walks straight up to the swivel chair currently facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. Naruto smirks evilly as he approaches the chair and I already know what his intentions are. He wants to suddenly yank the chair backwards to scare Mr. Uchiha. This handsome blond man is either crazy or gutsy, or maybe both. However, before Naruto even has a chance to place a hand on the back of the chair, it swivels around.

I don't even have a fighting chance against the tomato blush coloring my cheeks.

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**Woo, chapter two! Please do something, follow, or review**!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Nope, I still don't have anything to say.

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Holy Brit mother hugger, the President and CEO of Uchiha Corporations is the most gorgeous man I've literally ever laid eyes on. He has jet black hair that spikes up at the back and frames his face. His skin is the color of elephant tusks, a smooth ivory, and looks absolutely flawless. His other facial features are aristocratic, defined jaw and straight nose, elegant eyebrows, slightly plump lips. Even if he's seated on his chair, I can tell he has a very well built body beneath his slim fitting gray suit. The one feature that enraptures me the most, however, is his eyes. They're as black as his hair, maybe even darker, and they're framed by long lashes. I'm captivated by them, trapped by their spell and drowning in their inky depths. God, does he have this effect on all women?

I don't move from where I'm standing because even though Naruto allowed himself in, I haven't truly received Mr. Uchiha's permission to enter. Jesus, I want to enter so badly. I want to walk straight up to his desk so I can really study his beautiful features. He raises one eyebrow and I feel my insides melt. Ugh, I can feel myself turning into a fan girl, something I vowed I'd never turn into. I continue to stand awkwardly in my spot until his voice resonates in the sparsely furnished room and uproots me from my spot. Jesus, his voice is a deep baritone and smooth like velvet.

"You may enter."

As I walk into the room I notice the way he scrutinizes me, and I feel my apprehension rise to new heights. Did I make it on time? Am I late? What's he going to think about me? Is my breath okay? Do I look nice? I can't believe I just thought those last two questions. I've never thought those questions for a man before.

I slowly walk up to his desk and stop several feet away from it. I'm closer to him now and I can see smaller details that I couldn't see from the threshold of his office. He has stubble growing all along his chin and jaw. Jeez, it makes him look rugged in an incredibly sexy way. Both of his ears are pierced and they both bear black onyx studs delicately cut into rectangular angles. Under the light, I can see streaks of blue running throughout his inky locks and I have the sudden urge to run my hand through them and see if they're as silky as they look. His eyes, oh his beautiful eyes, they're even darker up close and they're guarded by sturdy walls.

Overall, his façade is emotionless, dark, rugged, and powerful. A dangerous mix that practically has the inner me writhing in pleasure or fear, I don't know, and I begin to feel a warm sensation pooling in the pit of my stomach. Oh Jesus, don't tell me, I'm beginning to lust for this man who could potentially be my boss. I just want to groan and slam my head against the wall. I feel hot and bothered on the inside and it makes me wonder what I must look like on the outside. God just kill me now because I probably already blew my chances of becoming his secretary. My inner self glares at me with tears in her eyes, angry that I've ruined our chances of becoming a secretary to this beautiful specimen sitting before us.

"You're five minutes late Ms. Haruno." My eyes widen in shock partly because I really am late and partly because he knows who I am.

Now if only I knew what reason to give him.

"I, um," he looks at me expectantly, impatiently, and the lust that was accumulating seconds ago vanishes and is replaced with panic, so I decide to go with the truth, "I sort of, kind of forgot I had an interview today." Jesus, I sound pathetic.

"Hn, I don't tolerate tardiness. You don't get the job, leave." My mouth drops open from his curt answer. Okay, wait just a second. I know it's my fault for being late, but he doesn't have to be so rude about it. He doesn't even have the tact to tell me off politely? Oh hell no.

"Um, I had to drive at one hundred miles per hour to get to this place. Do you know what could have happened at one hundred miles per hour? I'm not leaving until you give me another chance." I cross my arms over my chest and jut out my chin to show I'm serious, but inside my inner self is screaming at me that being defiant is going to make our situation worse. I don't care and I engage into a staring competition with Mr. Uchiha.

We stay locked in each other's gazes for what feels like an eternity, neither one flinching or breaking the connection. I refuse to back down. Thankfully, a shift occurs first in Mr. Uchiha.

He smirks amusedly at me and I'm baffled. Did I do something funny or humorous?

"Do you know who I am?" He asks the question with so much arrogance it makes me want to march around his desk and slap all of it out of him. Being the President and CEO of a major business in America does not make him higher than me. My inner self laughs mockingly at me, which fuels my bravado and righteous fury.

"Yeah, but do you know who I am?" I raise one brow at him and I hear Naruto let out a low whistle. I briefly glance over at him and he's smirking smugly.

"You do know that I'm the President and CEO of this company and that I'm the one who's supposed to hire you? Yet, you're standing here before me blatantly ignoring my decision and demanding me to give you another chance." He gives me a pointed look and I see the challenge in his eyes. Oh if he wants a challenge then I'll be more than happy to oblige. To make a point of how serious I am, I march straight up to his desk, slam my hands on the stained oak wood, bring my face as close to his as possible without seeming like I'm trying to kiss him, and I glare at him straight in the eyes.

"I am not leaving until you give me another chance!" I emphasize each word and practically hiss the last word. I'm genuinely serious about getting another chance. If he's going to be an asshole about it, then I'm going to be an annoying interviewee.

"Goddamn bastard, it's been five minutes, she hasn't thrown herself all over you, and she has guts! I like her! Hire her bastard or else I'll have to beat the crap out of you." For a split second I want to gawk at Naruto and I have to wonder about the relationship he shares with Mr. Uchiha.

After ten more seconds of our brutal staring competition, Mr. Uchiha smirks and says two words that make my mouth smile and drop open at the same time, "You're hired."

God I must look so creepy.

"Report at my officer seven am sharp tomorrow and don't be late or else. Now, if you have nothing else, I have some important matters to attend to." I don't know how long I stand there, but by the time function returns to my body Mr. Uchiha and Naruto have already left the office. I'm vaguely aware of the smug smirks they both wore as they entered the elevator.

Jesus, I did it. I'm the new secretary of the President and CEO of Uchiha Corporations. I am Sasuke fucking Ucihiha's secretary. I must be the luckiest woman alive.

* * *

The following morning as I'm heading to work at six in the morning, I contemplate on what matters I need to bring up to Sasuke. In all my raging glory, and momentary stupor at the end, I forgot to negotiate hours and wage with him, but I figure he already knows what we need to discuss.

I elicit a tired yawn and rub my equally tired eyes. I had to wake up at five in the morning. Such an ungodly hour of the morning to wake up, but I forced myself out of bed not wanting to repeat my tardiness the day before. I have enough fear for Sasuke that I believe him when he says or else. Thinking about all the punishments he could give me makes me shudder, but my inner self is grinning wickedly thinking about all the naughty punishments he could give to me. Jesus my inner self is kinky.

I reach the Uchiha Corporations main headquarters building at roughly six fifteen which means I have approximately forty-five minutes to either take a quick snooze or grab a bite to eat. I decide on the latter option and study the vicinity of the building for possible food hubs. I spot a café directly across the building and instantly my day is looking brighter. If there's one thing I love, it would be coffee. I'm proud to say I'm a Starbucks gold card holder.

I enter the café and my first thought is that it's very charming and cozy. The walls are painted neutral beige and are accented by modern dark brown tables and chairs. For lighting, the café uses hanging incandescent lamps that give the place a slightly retro feeling and bathe it in a soft, warm glow. The floor is a mosaic of brown, green, and white tiles, the tiles are arranged in a random pattern. Acting as a centerpiece on every table is a small circular fish bowl filled with water and dark brown pebbles, and a candle in a flower bulb shaped candle holder floating on the surface. Lastly, the smell of coffee wafts gently throughout the café so that it's tantalizing but not completely overpowering. I know within two minutes of being inside the place that I've already fallen in love with it.

Luckily for me, there aren't any customers before me so I head straight to the cash register. The barista is a very pretty brunette with twin buns that look like giant meatballs. Her complexion is tan and her skin is flawless. Her friendly eyes are a dark chocolate brown framed by thin lashes. The build of her body is muscular but lean, and she stands at least a half a head taller than me.

"Hi, how may I help you?" The tone of her voice is friendly but I can sense a decent dosage of spunk. Hmm, I think she might be a tomboy.

"Hi, this is my first time here so I don't know what to get. Can you recommend something to eat and drink?" I offer her a small but genuine smile which she reciprocates with a smile and laugh of her own.

"I thought you might be new. I've never seen your face in here before. I know all the morning customers' faces and their names." She sounds proud and I'd be too if I could perfectly remember all my customers' names.

"Is there anything specific you have in mind?" I take several seconds to think about it.

"Uh yes, can you recommend something that's quick to make and easy to eat? I'm kind of running low on time." It's true. I check my iPhone and it reads six thirty which means I have half-an-hour to make it to Sasuke's office.

"Hmm, I got it!" The barista's face lights up the same way those cartoon characters' faces light up when they get a great idea.

"How does a banana nut muffin and a French vanilla cappuccino sound? The muffins will be done in five minutes, and it's pretty chilly outside." Since I don't really have the luxury to consider other food possibilities I choose her only recommendation. She rings me up and sets about making my cappuccino. It takes her only two minutes and I have a nice, steamy cup of French vanilla goodness in my hands. It's not necessarily coffee but it'll do. The muffins still need three more minutes to bake so I decide on making small chat with the pretty brunette barista.

"So, do you like working here, um, Tenten?" I find her name unusual but then again, my name originates from Japan so I can't judge.

"Hell yeah I do." Her answer makes me laugh. I believe lively souls are suited to work in cafes.

"In the mornings I work here at the café, then in the afternoons I work at a nearby dojo as a trainer." My eyebrows go up in surprise. My notion is right, she is a tomboy sort of.

She laughs at my expression and continues, "Hey, maybe you should come by sometime, um," she looks at me expectantly and I return her stare with a puzzled look of my own. What does she want? Oh that's right! I'm not wearing a nametag duh!

"Sakura, my name is Sakura Haruno."

"Wow that's a pretty name. Well, as you can already see, my name is Tenten." She smiles at me and I return her gesture.

"So how come I've never seen you before?" Hmm, how do I answer her question?

"Well, I just got hired to be Sasuke Uchiha's secretary yesterday and I start today at-!"

"Wait what? You're the bastard's new secretary?" Her look is incredulous, as if it's hard to believe that I'm Sasuke's new secretary. I don't mean to but I suddenly feel offended, and she must have caught it because she raises her hands up in an apologetic manner.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. It's just, all his past secretaries came to this café to get drinks, and they were all a pain in the ass to serve." She raises her hands to express her exasperation and I giggle.

"Why are they pains in the ass?"

"Because they were all prissy, snobby, and they reeked of lust for the Uchiha. Sometimes when they came in here, they even reeked of sex." Her mention of lust has me remembering the way my eyes roved over his face and body hungrily yesterday at my interview, and I blush a light scarlet, but her mention of sex has me raising my eyebrows.

"Um, what was that last part?" I want to make sure I'm not hearing things. She looks at me with a raised brow of her own.

"Oh, c'mon, you've seen the Uchiha. With looks like that there's no way he's not a playboy." Suddenly I feel uncomfortable. Has Sasuke slept with all his secretaries?

"Um, has he, you know, done it with all his past secretaries?" I'm hoping he hasn't but I know deep down that he has.

"I'm pretty sure he has which isn't surprising. I mean, those past secretaries presented themselves to the bastard on a silver platter. All he needed to do was eat." My inner self revs a chainsaw in her hand. Jeez, I don't even know the man so she needs to calm down.

"Look, I'm surprised you're his new secretary because you seem like a sweet girl and so down to Earth, yet I can also see that you don't take shit from anyone and you can be a little spitfire." Whoa, she deduced all of that just by looking at and speaking with me?

"I know we just met but promise me you won't let the bastard ruin you. I'd hate to see you go bad and become like all his past secretaries." The looks she gives me is pleading and I roll my eyes at her.

"Jesus, what kind of a woman do you take me for?" Like the flick of a switch, her pleading look lights up and she looks relieved. I wonder if I should tell her I'm not a virgin anymore. No, that'd be weird considering I just met her. She opens her mouth to speak more but the ding of the oven in the back stops her and she heads back there to take out the muffin tins. She returns with one warm, fresh banana nut muffin and places it in a small paper bag.

"Here you go, enjoy!" I take the bag from her and say thank you before I turn around to head for the exit.

"Sakura wait!" I look over my shoulder at her and my eyes soften when I see the concerned look in her eyes.

"Remember, don't let him ruin you or I will kill him." I laugh at her words and proceed to exit the adorable café with a small wave.

Now, if only I could find a good restaurant for lunch. Maybe I'll meet and make a new friend there too.

* * *

It is ten minutes before seven and I'm standing outside Sasuke's office wringing my wrists nervously, my bottom lip caught between my teeth. Do I enter or does he expect me to knock first? I weigh the two options and their consequences, but in the end I choose to be safe than sorry and knock on the hard wood of his office door.

"Enter." The sound of his voice sends pleasant tingles down my spine and I have to remember to control those when he's speaking to me. Otherwise, I'd be tingling the whole day. When I enter the office he doesn't waste time in giving me my orders for the day.

"Look through those files and sort out which ones need my signature and which ones don't. Once you're done, bring the ones that need signatures to me and take the rest to the receptionist outside. After that, go on the computer and familiarize yourself with my schedule. You can do that by checking the calendar. Do you have any questions?" Jeez, already I have a big work load and it's only my first day. Ugh, what did I sign myself up for?

I do have one question.

"What about hours and wage?"

"We'll discuss that at the end of the day." Talk about curt and to the point.

"When exactly is the end of the day?" He raises one eyebrow at me and looks at me as if I'm stupid. I roll my eyes at him.

"We didn't discuss hours, so how am I supposed to know when the end of the day is?" I raise one brow as well and look at him pointedly. Yeah that's right Sasuke, feel dumb, but he gives me a different reaction. He smirks and gives me a response that makes my jaw drop.

"Simple, you leave when I leave." I try to retort but he continues whatever he was doing on the computer. Grumpily I head towards the files on a desk located in a separate room and begin my day's work.

By the time lunch rolls around I've already finished half of the files in the stack he left on my table. I read every file carefully to make sure if it's important or not. I lift my arms over my head and stretch out until I hear a pop in my spine. Instantly, I feel relaxed and relieved of pressure. It's twelve thirty. I wonder if I'm allowed to take a lunch break.

I glance at Sasuke and find him typing away on his iMac. He looks so serious and concentrated I feel like if I tried to talk to him he wouldn't notice me. I wonder how old he is. He looks pretty young, probably as old as me, but looks can be deceiving. If I had to stagger a guess, I'd say he's at least twenty-five. I mean, I'm twenty-four and I don't look that old, so maybe he's at least twenty-five.

My stomach rumbles loudly and I can't take it anymore. I stand up and exit my office, which is pretty spacious considering I'm only his secretary, and make my way towards Sasuke, careful not to make any sudden movements. Jeez, I feel like I'm about to ambush someone. Once I'm standing in front of his desk I wait for him to look up, but he doesn't which makes me frown. I open my mouth to call his name but he beats me to it.

"Whatever it is you need make it quick, I'm busy." He doesn't even look at me when he speaks. Oh the nerve of this guy.

"You may be my boss but I'd appreciate it if you looked at me when we're talking." He sighs, pauses his typing, and finally looks up at me. For a moment, I'm caught in the spell of his beautiful onyx eyes, but quickly snap out of it.

"When is my lunch break?"

"Whenever you're hungry." His answer confuses me. He expects me to just leave when I'm hungry? Apparently the confusion shows on my face because he sighs again and answers me with an annoyed expression on his face. Well excuse me for trying to be respectful and acquiring your permission.

"I'm not your babysitter. You're free to leave when you must to take care of your basic, essential needs." And just like that he returns to his computer screen. I sigh before I mutter a small thanks and head towards his office door. Out of courtesy and for the sake of being polite, I ask him if he wants anything.

"Is there anything you might want boss?" For a second I believe he's going to be unresponsive and continue typing away on his computer, but when I turn around he's stopped and his eyes are staring right at me. I blush at the intensity of them. Jeez, why is he looking at me like that? It looks like he wants to eat me.

"Tomato and cheese sandwich." A tomato and cheese sandwich for lunch? I scrunch up my nose because I'm not a big fan of tomatoes.

"Are you sure?"

"Hn."

"What does that mean?"

"Hn." I roll my eyes and turn back around, but not before glimpsing an amused smirk decorating his lips.

I make sure that as I exit the room he hears me mutter things about a lousy first day and a confusing new boss. In return, I hear him chuckle just as I close the door.

* * *

It seems that the one thing that can really make Sasuke stop working is food. I watch him as he takes a bite of his sandwich and then takes a sip of his tomato juice. When I was ordering his sandwich I wondered if he would want something to drink, and being the nice person that I am I also bought him a tomato juice since there's tomatoes in his sandwich. Hmm, when Sasuke eats he stares out the windows of his office. I don't blame him, the view is stunning. We eat in comfortable silence but since I'm not a fan of silence, I initiate conversation.

"So, how long have you been running this company?"

"Five years." He turns to me then and I notice that there are crumbs on the corner of his mouth. I can't prevent the giggle that escapes past my lips.

"What?" He looks annoyed. Oh dear, does Sasuke not like it when people laugh at him?

"Um, there are crumbs here," I point with my index finger at the right corner of my mouth to show him where exactly they are. He rubs his mouth and looks at me asking with his eyes if they're gone. I give him a nod and he continues eating his sandwich.

"Five years huh, not bad. Did you inherit this company from someone?"

"Hn." I sigh.

"Sasuke, what does that even mean?"

"Hn." He smirks at me and I know he's irritating me on purpose.

"Okay whatever, who did you inherit it from?"

"Father." That's not surprising. Most business owners are males.

"Jeez, you sure are a talkative one."

"Hn." He's hopeless and I roll my eyes.

I don't say anything more and we finish our meals in silence. When we're done, we both resume our previous tasks, him on his computer and me with my files. At a quarter till three I begin to really feel the exhaustion of the day, but I smile tiredly as I repeat Sasuke's schedule perfectly for the final time in my head. I glance at the ever talkative boss and find him still typing furiously away on his iMac. Jesus, it's already been a full work day and he's still going at it. I get up out of my seat and walk towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke I'm finished with everything. What else do you want me to do?" He sighs then looks up at me with surprisingly tired black eyes. So the powerful Sasuke Uchiha gets tired sometimes too huh?

"Nothing, you're free to leave." If he doesn't want me to do anything else then I'm not complaining. I turn to leave but Sasuke's smooth as velvet baritone voice stops me.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I look at him confusedly and he stares at me pointedly before I suddenly remember.

"Oh, my hours and wages! Thanks for reminding me."

"Hn." I ignore his ambiguous one-word response and continue on.

"So, as you may or may not know, in addition to this job as your secretary, I'll also simultaneously be working as a surgical intern at Konoha Grace Hospital which means I'll only be able to report to you at most twice a week." Sasuke furrows his eyebrows in deep thought.

"Why didn't you tell me this on your resume or yesterday at your interview?" Damn, I was hoping he wouldn't ask me questions about it.

"Well, I wasn't sure if I should include it on my resume since I was gearing it towards a secretarial position," he nods his head in approval, "and as for the interview yesterday, I completely forgot about it." I stare at him apprehensively, fearful of what his next thoughts or decisions might be.

"Hn, if you only work for me twice a week I expect you to report earlier at six am and leave later into the night to compensate for the days you can't report, and I expect you to be even more efficient with your time." Jesus, does he only speak more than one word when he's serious? He stares at me challengingly and I can't object to his condition because I'm asking to work for two days on a full-time employment work schedule. It's a miracle that he's even allowing me to continue working for him.

"As for your wages," he continues, "I'll give you a thousand dollar salary every paycheck in addition to your hourly ten fifty to compensate for your missing days. You'll receive a paycheck every two weeks." My eyes widen to the size of golf balls. Holy cow, he's giving me a thousand dollar salary every paycheck? If I receive a paycheck every two weeks, that's two thousand dollars every month for only eight days of work. Now I feel like I'm robbing him of his money which I'm sure is nothing to him since he's a billionaire.

"Um, okay but are you sure? I mean, I am working only two days out of a full-time schedule." I appreciate his offer but I'm not one to cheat others.

"Hn." I'm taking that as a yes.

"If you say so, but can I ask you why you're giving me such a huge pay if I'm' only working for you at most eight days a month?"

"Do you want the pay or not Haruno?" Jesus, he's using my last name which means he must be serious.

"I do it's just, that's so nice of you." He raises one brow.

"Not that you're not nice or anything," I try to appease, "what I'm trying to say is, it's only my first day of work and what you just did is so unexpected. I'm grateful." I stare directly into his deep pools of onyx and try to convey my gratitude.

"Hn, you may leave now." Not so fast, I have one more question for you Mr. Unexpectedly-Nice-Guy

"Okay before I go, Sasuke how old are you?" He raises an eyebrow at me, probably surprised that I'm inquiring about his age, but he answers.

"Twenty-six."

Hmm, he's twenty-six huh? He could've fooled me.

* * *

**And there goes chapter three! Please do something, anything, and just let me know what's up!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and made this one of their favorite stories already! It feels good to know that you guys enjoy what I love writing. Again, all this content is coming directly from my imagination and there is no set outline.

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**MATURE CONTENT WARNING: from this point on there will be scenes with graphic content that may or may not include violence and sexuality. Readers under 18 years of age are encouraged to skip sections of the chapter that contain these types of graphic content. You have been warned.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The next several weeks were absolutely brutal for me. Getting into the groove of things was definitely not as easy as I imagined it to be, but I'm not and will never be a quitter.

My mentor and the resident in charge of me at the hospital is a dark haired woman named Shizune. She's a really sweet and kind woman who works directly under the Chief of Surgery, a blond woman with a gigantic rack named Tsunade. In the beginning I thought that I would be able to scrub in on the big surgeries because of all the achievements I noted on my resume, but I ended up starting with simple things. Ugh, my internship is going to be unpleasant. I can feel it.

I say the next several weeks were brutal because I had to adjust to coping with an internship and a part-time job. If I thought the work load Sasuke gave me on my first day was a lot to handle, boy was I wrong. The load continued to grow in size until I was doing double the amount on my first day. When I confronted Sasuke about it and protested, he shot me down using the internship excuse. If I had known he would keep adding more work onto my already huge pile of work, I wouldn't have consented. Alas, what's done is done and I can't do anything about it.

I'm okay now. I grew accustomed to functioning on a bizarre sleeping pattern. I say bizarre because at the hospital I sleep any chance I get wherever chance I get. One time, I even slept on a random hospital bed in the hallway. Yeah, I get that exhausted. On the times that I have two days off, I go to work as a secretary. Ah, such is the life of a young woman balancing out an internship and a part-time job just to prove to herself and others that she can be independent. Yup, that is me right now.

Today, I'm at the secretarial workplace with a surprisingly light load of work. I glance at the beautiful dark haired man typing away furiously on his iMac several meters away, and I decide to ask him about my workload later. It's pretty random that after weeks of humongous piles of files, he'd simply give me a pile no bigger than half a stack of cards. Don't get me wrong, I love the workload today and I'm not complaining. I'm just curious.

In addition to settling in both at my internship and here, I learned quite a few interesting tidbits about Sasuke. For instance, his father's name is Fugaku, his mother's is Mikoto, and his older brother's name is Itachi. When he told me he had an older brother my mind instantly conjured up an image of an older looking Sasuke. It didn't look too shabby.

I also learned that Naruto and he are best friends. They've been together since they were both in diapers. I giggle and asked if he had any pictures in his wallet to which he responded with an annoyed expression and a disgruntled "no." I must have hurt his masculinity or something by asking if he, a grown man, carried pictures of him and his best friend as babies in his wallet. I don't see what the big deal was. If I was a man and I've known my best friend since we were pudgy little humans, I'd keep a picture with me just to prove it to shocked people like me.

I also learned that what Tenten said about Sasuke wasn't true. One day, I mustered up the courage to ask Sasuke about what the pretty brunette imparted unto me. Initially, he smirked smugly at me and it strangely got me heated, but then when he saw my irritation he let out a small chuckle and denied Tenten's accusation calmly. Jesus, now he must think I'm totally into him or something. I have to fix that. Anyways, he basically said he didn't sleep with all of them, just some of them, but I still don't feel comfortable about that little fact. He may not be a slutty playboy, but he's still a playboy.

Right on cue, my stomach grumbles at a half hour till one pm just as I gleefully finish looking through the last file in my thankfully small stack. I place it back in its folder, place it on top of the stack, and stand up and stretch my back. After I hear resounding pops and exhale a small mewl of pleasure, I exit my overly spacious office and head towards Sasuke intent on inquiring him about my unusually light workload. He doesn't even look up from his desktop screen when he asks me what I want. I roll my eyes.

"Jeez, it's been what, five weeks now and you're still not looking at me when you're speaking to me?" I cross my arms over my chest and stare at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow until he sighs, stops typing, and stares directly into my eyes with his mesmerizing onyx ones. Instantly, I forget about what I want to ask him and just stare entranced into those inky black depths. Suddenly, his lips quirk upwards and morph into a sexy smirk. I feel the back of my neck heat up and something tightens in the pit of my stomach. Lord, please have mercy. This man is going to make me combust and melt all over the floor with just a simple tilt of his oh so kissable lips!

His velvety voice reverberates throughout the silent office and I feel like putty at his words, that is, until I actually register what he said.

"I don't look at you when you speak because you don't speak up anymore once I do, and you just stand there and ogle me." Oh the nerve of this man. I cough to free myself from the trance his beautiful eyes have me in, and I straighten up jutting my chin out in what I hope looks like defiance and not childishness.

"I do not ogle you. What woman in her right frame of mind would want to ogle you?"

"You." Ugh, he can be so infuriating sometimes. I roll my eyes in annoyance but otherwise drop the subject and remember what I want to ask him.

"Whatever, look, I'm just curious as to why my normally colossal workload the size of Mount Everest is the size of an anthill today." He raises one immaculate eyebrow at me and I vaguely wonder for the hundredth time if he plucks his eyebrows.

"Are you unhappy with your anthill sized workload?"

"No, no, it's just that, there has to be some reason why I'm working less than I should." I watch Sasuke carefully, gauging his reaction, and almost whoop for joy when he sighs. Aha, so there is a reason. The only question now is what is it?

Sasuke stares at my calculatingly for a few seconds before he opens his mouth to speak. The next words that come out of his mouth literally make my mouth drop.

"You need the extra time to prepare yourself for dinner with my family."

Gorgeous-hunky-CEO-President-billionaire-playboy said what now?

* * *

"Again, for the last time, tell me why exactly I have to eat dinner with your father, mother, and brother?" I just can't believe it. Why would Sasuke's family want to eat dinner with me? Sasuke rubs his temples, probably in annoyance from me repeatedly asking the same question for the past four hours, but nonetheless responds.

"Goddammit Sakura, for the hundredth fucking time, my mom is the one who really wants to meet you, but my father and my brother don't care." I wince from his answer and mull it over in my head for what seems like the hundredth time this evening. His answer is reassuring because it's just his mom that wants to meet me, yet it's offending because his father and brother don't. I don't know whether to feel relieved or offended and angry. I open my mouth to ask again but he just groans and steps inside the restaurant.

I inhale as much air as I can and exhale slowly, trying my best to calm down my raging nerves. I can do this. It's just dinner right? I can do this. Parents love me. People love me. I can do this. I take one step towards the restaurant's doors and suddenly panic seizes me and I take a step back. The ridiculously ornate glass doors allow me to watch Sasuke as he talks to the waitress standing behind a wooden podium. I watch carefully as Sasuke nods his head several times before realizing I'm not next to him. He turns around to look at me still standing outside, and I feel chills run throughout my body. He raises his hand to pause the waitress and steps outside again.

"Jesus Christ Sakura, come inside already."

"But what if your family doesn't like me and-!"

"Then they don't like you and you just get over it. It's not like I'm introducing you as my girlfriend or anything, fuck." Sasuke glares at me in irritation. Jeez, even when he's angry he's as gorgeous as ever. I gulp loudly and take a tentative step forward, but Sasuke doesn't have any of my nervousness and grasps my elbow firmly but gently, and he pulls me towards him.

"Hey!" Sasuke groans.

"Please, if we don't do this shit now my mom will just keep trying to have dinner with you, so just suck it up."

"I will, but you don't have to drag me." I yank my elbow out of his hand and nurse it even though there's no pain. Sasuke just rolls his eyes and turns back to the restaurant.

"Whatever, let's go."

Well, here goes nothing.

* * *

Talking to Sasuke's father I finally understand where the silence and emotionlessness comes from because his father answers using the same monosyllable Sasuke uses. Actually, his brother uses it too but Itachi has a wider vocabulary range than Sasuke, and he definitely shows more emotion than Sasuke. Itachi's personality is more like a balance between Fugaku and Mikoto who is surprisingly very sweet and talkative. If I had to give each of them descriptions using one adjective, I'd say Fugaku is plain old emotionless, Mikoto is sweet, Itachi is pleasant, and Sasuke is brooding.

Throughout the entire dinner, Mikoto and I, and at times Itachi, kept up most of the conversation. Naturally, Fugaku and Sasuke remained silent and just listened in. At the beginning, Mikoto questioned my intentions for working as Sasuke's secretary. I answered truthfully and told her about my deep desire to be independent and self-sufficient. She seemed very pleased with my answer. From there, it was smooth sailing and she even asked me random things like what were my favorite type of heels, what place in the world I wanted to visit most, and even what kind of men I preferred. That last question had me blushing like crazy.

"Um, I like men who are intelligent, sweet, loyal, and who are self-sufficient like me. Oh, it also wouldn't hurt if he was somewhat good looking. I couldn't care less if he was poor so as long as he worked hard to provide himself with the basic necessities of life." Mikoto clapped her hands and bore the brightest smile I'd ever seen.

"Oh that's wonderful because Sasuke is all of those things and more! You should give him a shot." I glance at Sasuke and stifle a laugh behind my hand. He looks so embarrassed glaring at his half-eaten German chocolate cheesecake it's adorable.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm not really looking for a partner right now. I really want to focus on finishing my internship at Konoha Grace Hospital, and besides, I want Mr. Right to be the one to swoop me off my feet on his own. It's more romantic that way." I give the Uchiha matriarch my most genuine smile, hoping to appease Sasuke's humiliation at least by some degree.

"Well, don't you worry about that because my Sasuke will swoop you off your feet and right into the clouds." I blush heavily at what she said and hear Sasuke groan loudly. Oh dear, Sasuke's mom is trying to play matchmaker.

"Um-!"

"Mom, maybe you should lay off that topic for a while. After all, they're both still so young and have much to experience in the world." I cast grateful eyes onto Itachi and silently mouth a thank you to him and receive a nod of welcome in return. I glance at my watch and let out an unladylike yelp when I see what time it is. Fortunately for Sasuke and me, I yelp just as Mikoto opens her mouth to respond to Itachi's comment.

"Oh my God, I can't believe it's already nine! I'm sorry Mr. Uchiha, Mikoto, Itachi, but I have to get going. I have to be at the hospital tomorrow morning by eight am." I stand up and grab my hand purse, opening it to pull out a whopping three hundred dollars for dinner, but a perfectly manicured hand stops me and snaps my purse shut. When I look up, Mikoto is standing right next to me.

"Nonsense dear, we invited you to this dinner so we're covering the charges."

"But-!"

"Ah, not buts, just keep the money and go out to dinner with us again next time." Mikoto smiles sweetly at me and pulls me in for a hug which I more than gladly return.

I go around the table and shake hands with Fugaku and Itachi, but just as I reach Sasuke, Mikoto's voice quips in.

"No dear, Sasuke will be your ride home, so you can just say goodbye to him later." I turn shocked eyes onto Mikoto and catch a mischievous glint in her onyx eyes. Oh Lord, she actually wants something to happen between Sasuke and me tonight.

"Um, you guys already paid for dinner so I can just catch a taxi or something."

"Nonsense, you either let Sasuke drive you home, or you let Fugaku and me drive you home, or, if you don't want any of us, you can let Itachi drive you home. He's rather pleasant to ride with."

"No." Sasuke's deep, velvety voice interrupts and we all turn our attention on him.

"I'll take her home. You all go home too." He then proceeds to stand up from his chair, grab my elbow, and walk brusquely out of the restaurant. Too surprised to do anything else, I consent to just wave by at an emotionless Fugaku, an ecstatic Mikoto, and an amused Itachi.

* * *

The car ride home is silent and tense for a reason unbeknownst to me. Sasuke's grip on the steering wheel is tight and his facial expression and body language appear rigid. Jeez, is he that against driving me home?

"You know, if it makes you uncomfortable driving me home, you can just drop me off on the side here and I can hail a cab." I provide the brooding man next to me with an out but he rejects the option.

"No."

"Why?"

"If I do that and my mom finds out, she'll kill me."

"Then she won't find out."

"She has ways and she will." I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. Here I am trying to give him options and he won't take it. He's just making himself feel uncomfortable so I don't care. Several minutes pass and I can't take the awkward silence, so I continue talking in the hopes of dispelling the tension, or releasing the elephant in the car.

"I like your mom she's really sweet, and I can tell you're really fond of her too. I think it's nice." My comment seems to have a positive effect on Sasuke because his grip on the wheel loosens significantly.

"Your brother is, for the most part, quiet but I can tell that he has a sweet and gentle disposition like your mom." Just like that, his grip on the wheel tightens back. I furrow my brows. Does Sasuke not like his brother?

"And I can definitely see where your reserved personality comes from. You and your dad are a lot alike." Suddenly, Sasuke pulls the car over into a deserted parking lot, places it on park, and turns to glare at me. I flinch at the look in his eyes. He looks so angry and frustrated.

"Will you shut up about my family? And for the record, I am nothing like that sorry excuse of a father." Whoa, hostile much? I've never seen this side of Sasuke before. When he's angry it's because I'm annoying him with something stupid, but if I had to stagger a guess, I'd say his anger now stems from his family, or more specifically, his father. I decide right then and there that I don't like this side of Sasuke and I try to calm him down.

Tentatively, because he's still glaring at me, I gently place my hand on his shoulder and rub it soothingly in a circular motion.

"Hey, I'll stop talking about your family." I whisper softly, afraid any louder would set him off more.

"I'm sorry I compared you to your father. I shouldn't have." I continue to rub his shoulder and look directly into his eyes, willing him to see, to feel, how sorry I am. The look in his eyes remains intense and I begin to feel like my consoling isn't working. Suddenly, and so fast I don't see it, his hand shoots out and wraps around the back of my neck, and the next thing I know, he smashes his lips to mine.

My eyes widen in shock, but when Sasuke starts to really move his lips against mine, they flutter close and everything turns into pure feeling and instinct without any thoughts of what might happen later down the line.

My arms wind around his neck and pull his face closer, deepening our lip lock. I feel the hand resting at the nape of my neck move south to my waist, and I hear the click of my seatbelt being released. Fast like lightning, we disconnect our kiss just so I can get out of the seat belt and our lips smash together again. His hands wrap around my waist and pull my body towards him. I help by pushing myself out of my seat. Once I'm out and on his lip, I position myself so that I'm straddling his legs. I feel something hard poking at my belly and I moan into the kiss when I realize it's his erection.

Sasuke moves his mouth downwards and attacks my neck. I tilt my head to the side and position my body better to grant him better access, unconsciously rubbing my stomach against his clothed erection. I feel Sasuke's body shudder from my action and he elicits a groan of pleasure which causes something in my stomach to coil impulsively.

His hands snake their way under the hem of my dress and up my thighs. His calloused hands are big and warm and feel good against my skin. Using the index and middle fingers of each hand, he hooks them around the band of my panties and slowly pulls them down. When they're pulled down to mid-thigh he leaves one hand on my thigh, massaging it, and brings the other one back up to rub at my most private part while simultaneously his lips continue to move south. I release a throaty moan from the feeling of his calloused fingers rubbing against me and from his lips on my collarbone.

He releases his grip on my thigh and goes up to the top hem of my dress and pulls it down to reveal my bra. Expertly, he pulls both cups down at the same time and releases my breasts. Instantly, one of my hardened nipples is in his hot mouth and my other breast is in his free hand. My head falls back in absolute pleasure. I run my hands through his hair and grip tightly. Ever so slowly, he enters one finger inside me and starts to pump up and down. Seconds later, a second then third finger joins the first and I feel like I'm riding on cloud nine. I begin to buck my hips forward, urging him to pump harder and faster. He moves his lips to my other nipple and I grip his hair tighter.

He continues to pump his fingers inside me and just as I'm about to climax he stops altogether and releases me from his mouth. I groan in protest and buck my hips forward, encouraging him to continue his ministrations. When I open my eyes to look at him, he's smirking darkly. Oh, so he wants to play that game does he? I return his smirk with an evil one of my own and wasting no time, I let go of his hair with one of my hands and lay it gently on his clothed erection, and I begin to rub it slowly, sensually. I watch turned on as Sasuke's breathing hitches and his eyes screw shut. I rub him slowly, torturously, and just as I could feel his body begin to shudder, I stop. His eyes fly open and I smile sweetly at him.

Hmm, that's what you get Uchiha.

His onyx eyes grow darker, more sinister, and the coil at the pit of my stomach becomes tighter. For a few seconds we just stare at each other, then with renewed fervor our lips our smashed together and we're kissing each other heatedly. Unwilling to take any more torture, I unbuckle his belt and pull the zipper of his pants down, instantly freeing him from the binds of his boxers. I pull away from his lips to glance at his most private part and I can't take my eyes away. It's beautiful just like him.

"Like what you see?" I look up again at Sasuke and find him smirking smugly. Not wanting him to get the upper hand, I lean in closely to his ear and whisper something I never imagined I'd hear myself saying to a man.

"Too bad we're in the car in this position. Maybe if we were on a bed I'd taste you instead of look at you." I smile victoriously when I feel Sasuke's body tense up as hard as rock. He surprises me when he growls low in his throat and slightly lifts my body. Jesus, his biceps and triceps must be hard as rock! When I glance into his eyes, they're the darkest I've ever seen them and my breath is taken away.

"I'm on birth control." I whisper breathily into the air and then all at once he's inside me and pounding quick and hard. I match him pump for pump and grip onto his broad, strong shoulders for support. Sasuke nestles his face into the crook of my neck and kisses me softly. Our pace quickens and our thrusts become deeper, harder, pushing the both of us to our limits but not exactly over. I bite my lip shut, not wanting to make any noise, but the pleasure is too much and soon I'm moaning Sasuke's name like a lifeline which provokes him to speed up even more.

With a final thrust, we both reach our climax and I arch forwards as the pleasure skyrockets and sends me above cloud nine. Sweet Jesus, why did you stay a virgin all your life? Sasuke grunts and bites my neck softly. When he pulls away I lean my forehead against his and stare into his fathomless onyx eyes. We're both breathing hard and I see a film of sweat developing on his forehead and nose. Around us, the mirrors have fogged up and the air is hot and sticky from sex. He briefly closes his eyes and when he opens them again, all the tension has disappeared and he looks peaceful.

"All better Mr. Uchiha?" He smirks and I laugh lightly.

"Hn." His response doesn't bother me anymore and instead, I find it endearing. With gentleness I didn't think he possessed, Sasuke lifts my body up and slowly pulls out of me. Once he's completely out I clamber over to the passenger side and pull up my panties and cover up my breasts. When I look back over at Sasuke he's staring at me intently, a lazy smirk plastered onto his lips.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just remembering the time you asked me if I slept with all my past secretaries. You looked so disgusted with me, yet you willingly had sex with me in my car." There's nothing accusatory about his tone, it's just thoughtful.

"Yeah well, it's hard to resist a man that practically screams sex God." I stare at him intently too, not the least ashamed at the words that escaped past my lips. We continue our staring contest until Sasuke leans in and plants a soft kiss on my lips. My hands automatically latch around his neck and deepen the kiss. After several more seconds we pull away and when I open my eyes to look into his, they're dark again. Jesus this man gets turned on so fast. I can't help but tease him about it.

"Sorry Mr. Uchiha, but I'm not up for round two. I have to wake up bright and early to go work at the hospital." Sasuke pays no heed to what I just said and ducks his head into my neck and trails butterfly kisses all the way to my collarbone, but I meant what I said and I place my hands on his chest to push him away. I almost want to moan out load when I feel how hard his pectorals are. Now I really want to run my hands all over his body. I try and push him away but he barely moves an inch and continues his gentle assault on my neck.

"Sasuke I mean it. I have to get home so I can go to bed already."

"Hn."

"Sasuke please?" My pleading tone reaches out to him and he stops what he's doing to look up at me. I almost, with great emphasis on the almost, regret telling him to stop, but my priorities weigh more than my pleasure.

"Take me home now, please?" He stares at me for several more seconds before he leans in to plant another soft kiss on my lips and pulls away to start the engine.

The rest of the ride back home is peaceful and in comfortable silence. Sasuke's so relaxed that he drives with one hand resting on the clutch and one hand on the wheel. I laugh when I realize how easily he's relieved and calmed down by sex.

"Does sex always calm you down?" He glances at me and his sexy lazy smirk is plastered on his lips. God I love his smirk.

"Hn."

"Okay I'll take that as a yes oh horny one." I grin at Sasuke and he raises an eyebrow up at me.

"We're here."

"Excuse me?" He stares pointedly at me before he takes my chin in his hand and gently swivels my head to look out my window. I see my porch light shining like a beacon in the darkness.

"Oh, um, thanks for the ride Sasuke!" I unbuckle my seatbelt and unlock the door, but when I pull the handle to open the door, Sasuke's hand on my elbow stops me. I turn around to look at him questioningly and find that his brows are furrowed as if he's debating something.

"Sasuke what is it?" Instead of answering his brows unfurrow and he pulls me in for yet another kiss. Jeez, I am scoring big time with Sasuke tonight.

When we pull apart, Sasuke surprises me with a question.

"Will you go to dinner with me this weekend?" I am totally caught off guard. Isn't it against company policies to date fellow employees? Well, sleeping with your boss is against company policies, but I'm making an exception to that rule since Mr. Sasuke Uchiha over here is damn irresistible and since I'm sure we're going to have more hot and steamy sessions in the future.

"Um, I really don't know Sasuke. It depends on my schedule." A frown replaces his smirk and mars his beautiful features, and I quickly try to fix the situation.

"But I'll try to figure something out!" He stares at me with calculating eyes and nods. I smile brightly at him and proceed to step out of the car. Sasuke rolls down the window.

"Thanks for the night Sasuke. It was unexpected." I give him a knowing smile and he smirks back at me. I head towards my house and open the front door. Even after I step inside and look out the window, Sasuke's car is still parked and he's staring intently at my front door. After several seconds, he starts the engine and rolls out of my driveway. I lean back against my front door and allow a dreamy, content sigh to escape past my lips.

Jesus, I can't believe I just slept with my boss, and the bad thing is, I don't regret it. Hopefully Tenten won't so pissed off at me when I tell her about it.

* * *

**Woo chapter four! Can you guys believe it? Well, I'll know you can believe it if you review, favorite, or follow! Until next time guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** This chapter was kind of difficult to write but it was fun and exciting, so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you everyone for supporting my story with reviews, favorites, and subscriptions.

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**REMEMBER, this story is rated M, mature, for adult themes. Reader discretion is strongly advised. Anyone under the age of 18 is encouraged to skip over scenes with violence, vulgarity, and/or sexuality.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"You did what?" I wince in pain at how loud Tenten's voice grew. It's late in the afternoon and I'm currently sitting down on a bench at the dojo that the pretty brunette barista works at. The hospital wasn't busy so I thought I'd go out and take a breather, and my feet led me here.

Unsurprisingly, Tenten is good at what she does and commands absolute respect from her maggots as she likes to call them. Unfortunately, she doesn't have very good restraint because I believe she just busted one of my ear drums. I think it's because of the piece of information that I just shared with her. It's been a few days since my hot and steamy escapade with Sasuke in his car, and I thought I'd share my experience with the woman who makes my breakfast coffee every morning.

"Tenten keep it down, people are staring." We both turn our heads and sure enough the rest of the room is looking at the both of us with attentive ears courtesy of Tenten's outburst.

"What the hell are you maggots looking at? Keep training!" Tenten barks and I feel sorry for her poor students. Tenten sure can be scary when she wants to be. When she turns back to look at me the blood drains from my face. She's glaring at me and boy is it scary.

"What the hell do you mean you slept with him?" She hisses quietly at me.

"Well, you know, we kind of, sort of," she raises one fine brown eyebrow at me and I sigh in exasperation because she's making such a big deal out of it, "look, we had sex. What's so wrong about that?" Apparently there is everything wrong about it because Tenten's look darkens. Jeez, is sex with Sasuke really such a crime?

"What's wrong with that is that you made a promise to me and you broke it!" I recall the first time we met and how she practically begged me not to sleep with the gorgeous CEO. Actually, she didn't beg me to not sleep with him. She begged me to not let him ruin me, and there's a big difference between having sex with your boss and letting him ruin you.

"Tenten, I didn't promise you I wouldn't sleep with Sasuke. I promised you I wouldn't let him ruin me remember?" She opens her mouth to probably say something witty, but closes it and grits her teeth when she realizes that I'm right.

"Okay fine, but I'm telling you, sleeping with the bastard is how it all starts." I look at her skeptically.

"What do you mean by that?"

Tenten rubs her temples and emits a sigh.

"Sakura-!"

"Don't Sakura me. Tell me, why exactly is it a crime to have sex with him? And don't tell me it's because he'll ruin me because I will never, in a million years, let a man change me. So tell me, why is it so bad to have sex with Sasuke and not some other man?" I cross my arms over my chest and give her a pointed look. She groans in exasperation but otherwise gives me an answer.

"Look, I grew up with the bastard and lived through high school with him. He's not exactly boyfriend material." My raised brow rises higher if possible.

"I'm not looking for a boyfriend Tenten." She gives me a strange look and I realize the way I worded and said that makes me sound like a whore. I blanch. Great, here I am trying to persuade Tenten that having sex with Sasuke isn't all that bad and I end up sounding like I just want to sleep around. I groan and face palm myself internally.

"You may not be looking for one now, but you're going to look for one later and by then it'll already be too late, and your heart will have already latched onto Sasuke." Her eyes soften and I can see the great concern shining in their chocolate depths. Jeez, how does she switch from fierce tigress to harmless puppy so fast?

"During high school, Sasuke never had a girlfriend. He only had flings and one night stands. Every time there was a party, it was guaranteed that Sasuke would sleep with a girl that night."

"And how does that apply to me exactly?" I really don't see how her words apply to my situation. All I did was have sex with the guy and I am definitely not in high school anymore.

"It applies to you," she says a little forcefully," because all the girls that sleep with Sasuke end up falling in love with him, or at least become overly obsessive, and every time, Sasuke breaks their hearts which ultimately breaks their spirits and ruins them. That's what I meant when I said don't let him ruin you." Tenten's eyes are shining with so much concern for me that I can't help but feel the slightest bit guilty about my actions.

"Tenten, you do know I'm a grown woman and that I have certain primal needs that need to be sated right?" Oh please Tenten, just let this issue go and you can continue showing me your perfect roundhouse kicks.

"I know that, and it's perfectly alright to satisfy those needs, safely mind you, but your other needs," I give her a confused look and she quickly backtracks, "your emotional needs, those aren't easily satisfied." Ugh, she truly thinks I'm going to fall in love with Sasuke.

"Tenten, I am not going to fall in love with Sasuke, at least not yet." Because let's face it, it's kind of hard to resist falling in love with the man. He's tall, gorgeous, mysterious, intelligent, successful, independent, and he's a jerk at times, yet adorable at others, he has a killer body paired perfectly with a killer smirk, self-sufficient, and deep down he's sweet in his own way.

"Fine, whatever, I surrender. You can have sex with him, safe sex, and you can fall in love, but you must promise me one thing." Jeez, now she's switched back to tigress Tenten, and strangely her statement reminds me of when my mother concedes to my wishes, but adds conditions.

"What?" I already know what she's going to say before she says it, and because I know I don't hesitate to respond.

"You must promise me that you won't let him ruin you."

"I promise." She stares into my eyes then, and I stare right back giving her the assurance she needs. When she's positive that I'll stick to my word, she nods her head and stands up, but now she's looking at me weirdly.

"What is it now? Why are you looking at me like that?" She looks at me uncomfortably and I can see an internal debate happening in her mind. Just spit it out already woman!

"Nothing, it's just, I thought you'd be a little more bashful about all this talk of sex and whatnot." Hmm, she thinks I'm a goody two shoes.

"You thought I was a virgin." I accuse her and she starts jumping from foot to foot, probably her nervous habit like how I bite my lip.

"Well, frankly, yes, but weren't you?" I roll my eyes at her.

"Once again Tenten, I am twenty-four years old, so I was most definitely not a virgin!" Her mouth drops open and I want to slap her silly.

"Why are you tripping out over whether I'm a virgin or not?"

"I'm not, it's just I assumed you were and since you weren't, I'm shocked is all. Besides, you look like the type of girl who'd wait until she's married to have sex." I give her a pointed look.

"Would you wait?" Unexpectedly, she smiles slyly and I get the inkling that Tenten is no longer a single lady.

"I did wait." Correction, I get the inkling that Tenten is no longer an unmarried single lady.

"See, now, that is surprising and not the fact that I wasn't a virgin." I feel the tension of our discussion ebb away as I successfully elicit a laugh from the pretty brunette standing in front of me. She stops jumping from foot to foot signaling that her nervousness has left the dojo.

"Yeah well, I'm happily married and to the man of my dreams." I give her a big smile. I'm so glad for her that she's tied down with her Mr. Right. How old is Tenten again, twenty-five?

"How old are you again?"

"Twenty-seven."

"Uh huh, and when did you get married?"

"Last year which means I was twenty-six." My mouth drops open.

"You were twenty-six? Honey, how did you hold off for so goddamn long? I would have jumped the first hot cock that strolled down my block!"

"I guess it's because I was never really focused on that kind of stuff." A memory of one dull morning I walked into the café resurfaces to my mind, and I remember how Tenten shared some of her background with me. If her job as a martial arts instructor at a dojo isn't cue enough that she's athletic, then all the soccer trophies she has proudly displayed in her house should provide more than enough strong evidence.

"Hmm, I played volleyball and field hockey in high school, but I still managed to fulfill my primal needs." She looks at me incredulously and I give her another pointed look.

"Jeez Tenten, what exactly do you think of me?" She raises her hands in an apologetic manner to try and soothe the cobra inside of me, or wait, the tiger, armadillo, panda, ugh, whatever, I don't care what animal is inside of me.

"Relax Pinky. I didn't think you played sports in high school." I raise a brow at the nickname she gives me.

"Well, I did play sports. So, what's the name of your husband, meatballs?" I smirk when she stares horrified at me. Ha, take that!

"Meatballs? My hair does not look like meatballs." My smirk becomes triumphant because she instantly realizes that I never said anything about her hair looking like meatballs. I just called her meatballs. That means that she knows her twin buns are indeed very similar to meatballs.

"Whatever," she grumbles.

"His name is Neji and," she pauses and looks a little hesitant to say the last part.

"Well? Does he have a last name or are you just Mr. and Mrs. Neji and Tenten?"

"No! His name, well, his name is Neji-"

"Hyuga." A deep voice as smooth as silk interrupts from behind Tenten, causing her already big eyes to widen as round as saucers and her cheeks to take on a rosy blush. When I look around her to see who the man that could affect Tenten in such a way is, my lips part and I feel my cheeks take on a rosy blush of their own.

"Neji!"

Goddamn, he's Neji? Sweet Jesus, have mercy. I don't know how I am meeting all these gorgeous sex gods, but please ask God-God to not be so angry with me. I swear my subconscious isn't worshipping their bodies, I mean them, intentionally.

* * *

The weekend rolls around faster than I can suture a gash, and I am a bundle of nerves which surprises me because I have no reason to be. I'm just going out to dinner with Sasuke. My subconscious looks at me and shakes her head, and deep down I know that I at least have a small crush on the ridiculously handsome CEO. I cover my face with my hands and groan into them. I have this gut feeling that something amiss is going to happen tonight.

A very cool breeze sweeps down my street and caresses my naked arms. I shiver involuntarily. Jeez, it's still summer so why the hell is it so cold? It's early September and fall doesn't officially begin for another three weeks.

Tired of standing up, I sit down on my porch bench and check my iPhone for the time. It reads eight pm. What time did Sasuke say he was going to pick me up? I don't get a chance to think about it because the smooth purr of an engine pulling into my driveway catches my attention, and I look up to find a sleek cobalt blue Maserati GTS parked on the sidewalk. I guess he said eight.

The driver side door opens and I don't know why, but I wait with bated breath for a mop of unruly, spiked at the back hair to pop into view. When Sasuke completely steps out of his car and walks around it coming into the full spectrum of my view, the breath rushes out of me. How can one man be so effortlessly beautiful? It's unfair.

He's wearing a simple, black button down shirt with the top two buttons undone, khaki slim straight-fit jeans, slightly worn black converse, and in his ears are his signature black studs. It's such a simple outfit, yet it looks so good on him. He hasn't shaved yet and I can see stubble growing along his chin and jaw, but the little hairs make him look rugged and sexy. He has his panty-dropper smirk plastered on his face, his hands are stuffed coolly in the pockets of his jeans, and he's walking towards me with all the swagger of an arrogant-billionaire-CEO-playboy. Jeez, is he trying to make me combust on my porch? I stare at him for what seems like an eternity that I don't realize he's standing in front of me until his inside-melting voice cuts through the air and brings me back to earth.

"Ready?"

"Y-Yeah." Whoa, where did that stutter come from? My subconscious stares at me disapprovingly. I don't remember ever stuttering in front of a man. Sasuke stares at me with a raised brow, but he shakes his head and turns to walk back down my porch steps and towards his beautiful car. Getting over my stutter I quickly follow after him.

Once we reach the car Sasuke doesn't immediately head for the driver's side, and he does something uncharacteristic of him that takes me by surprise. He opens my side door and grabs my hand to usher me in. All the while he just smirks smugly at me, enjoying the fact that he was able to surprise me with this gentlemanly act. Unable to think of anything else to say I opt for a simple thank you.

Sasuke strolls at a leisurely pace around the front of the beautiful Maserati GTS, and once he's inside and strapped in he slowly inserts the keys into the ignition and starts the engine. The sound of the car's engine purring to life sends pleasant tingles down my spine, and I'm forced to remember the last time I was in this car. I smile at the memory. That was quite an experience that I want to experience over and over and over again.

* * *

It doesn't take us long to reach the restaurant. The entire ride here I was smiling like a goofball courtesy of Sasuke's driving. I never realized how fast his car could go until he floored it on the freeway. It practically flew along the road and it was such an exhilarating experience.

When I grasp my handle and make to pull it, the lock suddenly clicks into the locked position and I turn to Sasuke in confusion.

"Why'd you lock my door?"

He just shakes his head and proceeds to step out of the car. Okay so he can get out and I can't? What, am I supposed to order food from my seat here and eat inside his car? But Sasuke surprises me yet again when he comes around the front, unlocks my door, and offers his hand out. I can tell from Sasuke's smug smirk as he helps me out that I must look surprised yet again by his gentlemanliness.

"Why, Mr. Uchiha, I didn't think you would be so," I rack my brain for an appropriate word that won't boost his inflated ego, "cultivated."

"Hn," he stares at me with his mesmerizing onyx eyes slightly hidden beneath long, dark lashes, and he regards me with amusement.

When he offers his arm out to me I am no longer surprised now that I know Mikoto has instilled gentlemanly qualities into her son. Well, at least he's gentlemanly when he's not pounding into women.

We pass by a young looking valet parker on our way to the entrance and Sasuke hands him the key to his precious GTS, but not before giving him a pointed look to which the valet parker pales and nods his head. As we approach the entrance a middle-aged looking man smiles pleasantly at us and pulls the door open.

"Mr. Uchiha, we've been expecting you."

Jeez, we haven't even been inside and seen the food and already I can tell that this place is extravagant just from the service. I frown as a thought hits me. I'm not dressed for the occasion. Well, neither is Sasuke but he'd look drop dead gorgeous even if he was wearing a rag. I tug on Sasuke's arm to get his attention.

"Sasuke, why didn't you tell me we were going to a place like this? I would have dressed a bit more formally." I wave my hand over my outfit and Sasuke just shrugs. I groan. All the high end socialites of Miami are probably eating their dinner here, and once they see me I just know I'm going to be judged harshly. Ugh, whatever, I never let people's views and opinions bother me before, and I'm not going to let them bother me now even if they're powerful aristocrats and business tycoons that could afford giving me hell.

Once we're inside I note that my assumption about this place is correct. It's extremely extravagant and complete with the whole package: crystal chandeliers, beautifully kept rugs, intricately designed tables, fancy silverware, an orchestra playing in the center, and waiters wearing tuxedos walking around with easy grace probably acquired from disciplined training and years of practice. I also note that the diners are wearing suits, and tuxes, and very expensive looking dresses and jewelry. I feel my neck ache when we pass by a woman wearing a pile of diamond necklaces on her neck. Jeez, someone's trying really hard to break their neck.

I don't know where we're sitting so I just hold on firmly to Sasuke's elbow and let him lead me. As we pass by all the diners I notice that a majority, if not all, of the women in the room are staring hungrily at Sasuke and scathingly at me. I roll my eyes but I'm not surprised. Keep your panties on ladies. Not only are you with your own dates, but Sasuke is mine for the night. You guys can have him some other time.

Sasuke leads us to a flight of stairs and I really have to wonder where exactly we're sitting. Knowing Sasuke, he probably reserved a private booth or something on the upper levels of the restaurant in order to stay away from the presence of other humans. Or maybe he reserved an entire floor my subconscious whispers breathlessly as we reach the last step of the staircase and step foot onto the restaurant's second floor. My breath is taken away at the sight that meets my eyes. The entire second floor is empty save for the one round table placed in the center of the room.

The table is covered with a pristine, crisp white tablecloth and on it is a centerpiece composed of beautiful white roses in a long cylindrical vase filled halfway with water. Littered randomly around the vase are several lit up candles, and their incandescent lights shine on the water in the vase making the clear liquid sparkle brilliantly. However, what really catch my attention are the wide open French doors leading to a balcony overlooking the waterfront. From here I can see the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean and the bright twinkle of stars in the plum night sky.

I look at Sasuke and find him staring intently at me. The intensity of his stare catches me off guard and my lips part and my cheeks warm up. Why is this man having such an effect on me?

"Do you like it?" He murmurs huskily and his voice sends shivers down my spine. I stare into his eyes and I realize he's seeking for my approval.

"Sasuke I love it. Thank you." He nods and then leads me to the right side of the table. He pulls out the chair and holds it for me, waiting for me to sit down. I smile brightly at him and sit down on the chair he's offering me. Once I'm secure in my seat he gently pushes it into the table and proceeds to go sit down on his side.

"So, what kind of food do they serve here Mr. Uchiha?"

"Hn." I sigh.

"Do we get menus?" I look around me and frown when I discover no waiters on standby. Where the hell are they?

My musing is cut short when a young brunette man in a spiffy looking vest and bowtie comes out of a door in the wall pushing a cart with a bottle of expensive looking champagne, a pitcher of ice cold water, a crisp looking salad, steaming soup, and warm bread rolls. Sasuke must have ordered everything beforehand when he made reservations. Instantly, my mouth begins to salivate so I shut it firmly to prevent any drool from spilling over my lips. The waiter comes to our table and first sets our soup bowls, salad plates, silverware, glasses, and napkins. He then proceeds to fill our wine glasses with champagne and our other glasses with water and sets the food on the table. He pulls out a ladle and tongs from the lower levels of the cart and serves soup into our bowls and salad onto our plates. He leaves the bread rolls alone and places a small bowl of butter balls down in the middle of Sasuke and me. I mouth a silent wow to Sasuke and he just smirks at me.

"Enjoy your appetizers Mr. Uchiha and Ms. Haruno. I will bring your dinner out shortly." The young waiter bows gracefully and he reenters the door he came out from. I whistle and smile amused at Sasuke.

"Hmm, Mr. Uchiha, do young men like that one wearing nice vests and bowties always serve your food with such flourish?" Sasuke's smirk falls from his face and I laugh at his disturbed expression as I pick up my wine glass and take a sip. I let the liquid swirl on my tongue before swallowing it. Damn, there is definitely a reason why wine can be so expensive. Picking up my spoon next, I dip it into the frothy amber liquid, and bring it to my lips. I moan in delight as the soup glides smoothly down my esophagus. He must not like homosexual jokes.

"Relax Sasuke. I am perfectly aware of how much you love the female body and her most beloved body part." I smile at the gorgeous man sitting in front of me and he stares at me with darkened, glinting onyx stones. His smirk has resumed its rightful position but now carries a kind of mischievous tilt to it. It's the kind of smirk that holds a dark promise of sensuality and pleasure, and it makes me squirm in my seat.

"You make me crave both like their basic human necessities." His comment causes my eyes to widen and my cheeks to sport a light blush.

I don't know how to respond to that, so I pick up a bread roll and split it open, releasing some of the steam inside, and brush a piece of it with some butter before sinking my teeth into it. God it tastes so good. I rip off another piece of the bread and dunk it into my soup. It tastes even better drenched with the frothy amber liquid. When I look up again, Sasuke is watching me intently so I stop chewing, suddenly self-conscious of eating. Why the hell is he looking at me like that? I glance at his food and raise an eyebrow when I discover that his soup, salad, and bread are untouched.

"Are you not going to eat?"

His eyes darken considerably causing warmth to pool in the pit of my stomach, and when he responds, I nearly spit out my half-chewed break in shock, "I'd rather eat something else instead."

It's not exactly what he said that has me restraining my subconscious from jumping and ravishing Sasuke, but the way he said it and the way his abysmally black eyes hungrily skimmed my body from head to where my body disappears from his view at below my bust. I begin to feel incredibly warm despite the open French doors, and I take a large swig of my icy water. It feels good and serves to slightly calm down my raging hormones.

When I look back at Sasuke his dark eyes are half lidded and he's slowly bringing his spoon up to his lips. I watch entranced as he slightly tips his head back when the silver touches his bottom lip, exposing his Adam's apple, and lick my lips when his Adam's apple bobs up and down. When he dips his spoon in his soup again, he leaves it there and just stares at me with hooded eyes and a lazy smirk. Suddenly, I am no longer hungry for food and a carnal feeling blooms deep within the apex of my thighs. We continue staring at each other, him the irresistible seducer and me the helpless prey, until the waiter comes through the door again and breaks us from our trance.

He comes to our table this time balancing two covered plates with one on each hand. He comes to me first and gently places one plate down before removing the silver cover and revealing a mouthwatering baked chicken and salmon dinner accompanied by saffron infused wild rice tossed with wild mushrooms and parsley, and steamed asparagus on the side. It looks absolutely delicious and I pick up my knife and fork to begin eating, determined to completely devour every speck of food on my plate, when Sasuke's deep chuckle floats to my ears. I stop cutting my chicken and look up to find Sasuke smirking amusedly at me.

"Hungry?" His question sparks the blush on my cheeks to redden and I just look away to the side. He chuckles again and when I turn back to him he's already started eating. I glare lightly at him causing him to chuckle again, before I finally dig in.

After the first couple of bites, my annoyance with Sasuke has completely vanished and I am thoroughly enjoying my food. God this salmon is good. I wonder if I can bother the chef for the recipe. After a good twenty minutes of eating, and in total comfortable silence, I finish and smile happily, satisfied that my plate is totally devoid of a single crumb of food. Hmm, I must have been hungrier than I originally thought, or it could just be because I love food. I decide that it's both reasons and brush the thoughts away.

When I look at Sasuke's plate, it's devoid of food crumbs too and I notice that even his soup has disappeared along with his salad and bread. Glancing at my appetizer course I find that I have eaten only half of everything, but I don't care. I'm not really a soup and salad person anyway.

"That took you long enough." I raise one brow at Sasuke. Is he making fun of how fast I eat?

"Well excuse me for wanting to really appreciate and enjoy my food." I roll my eyes at him and when our stares lock again, his eyes have darkened and he licks his lips as if he's still hungry, and I have an idea of what exactly he's still hungry for.

"So, what's for dessert," I ask him breathlessly. He doesn't get to respond because our waiter comes back pushing a cart with a large tub on the top shelf and two small covered plates on the middle shelf. Once he's cleared our table of plates, bowls, and silverware, he refills our wine glasses and drinking glasses and sets both of the covered plates down at the same time. With a smile, flourish, and expert timing he lifts the silver covers off at the same time to reveal two moist, decadent, and mouthwatering slices of white chocolate truffle raspberry cheesecake.

"Enjoy your dessert and the rest of your evening. Mr. Uchiha has already paid for everything in advance so feel free to just leave when you feel that you are finished and I will clear your table. Thank you for dining with us tonight and letting us serve you, and please come back again soon. Goodnight Mr. Uchiha and Ms. Haruno," and with that elegant farewell speech our waiter bows gracefully one last time and pushes the cart back into the kitchen, but not before giving us both a white toothed smile.

I stare lovingly at my cheesecake with a big goofy smile and ever so gently so as not to ruin the presentation, I slice off a piece and place it into my mouth. The sweetness of the white chocolate truffle and the tartness of the raspberry complement each other perfectly, and the taste overall is sensational on my taste buds.

"This is really good Sasuke. Thanks for dinner tonight." I smile brightly at Sasuke as I consume another forkful of cheesecake. Sasuke just smirks at me and responds with his most beloved word. I just close my eyes, too wrapped up in the sensations the cheesecake is giving me to care.

"The night's not over yet." His velvety voice floats to my ears and when I open my eyes to look at Sasuke, his usually dark onyx eyes are bright and full of excitement which puts me on alert.

Oh Mr. Uchiha, please don't treat me too wonderfully because I may start falling for you.

* * *

**And voila, Chapter 5! Just a heads up, I'm starting my first year of college in about two weeks, so expect longer delays between updates as I will be more focused on my education and other priorities in life. Please understand and continue to support my story! **

**Oh, and if you ever spot any grammatical and/or spelling errors, please inform me immediately so I can fix them. If there's one thing I hate, it's these kinds of errors. Thanks guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I absolutely loved writing this chapter. It's chalk full of angst and fluff. It's more of a filler chapter but it does set the foundation for the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**This story is rated M for adult themes. There may be instances of violence and sexuality. Readers under 18 read at your own discretion.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"No, I can't stop."

"Haruno," please don't.

"No, I can't!"

"Haruno, stop pumping his heart," I can't.

"Dr. Haruno, this patient is gone so back away and leave my OR now! " But I can't and I just continue to stare horrified at the dreaded flat line on the patient's monitor.

I stare for several more seconds before I begin pumping the man's heart again, dazed and in a panic. This is my first cardio surgery and I don't want this man dying on me. I can't let this man die on me. Not when my clean slate is on the line, and especially not when he probably has a family waiting terrified out in the lobby. No, I refuse to give up. It's not this man's time.

I vaguely register voices yelling at me to stop, but I ignore them and continue pumping this man's heart vigorously. He can't die, oh please don't die mister. If you die now, your wife and kids will be broken forever and it'll be hard for them to stand back up. I continue pumping this man's heart for twenty more seconds before strong arms wrap around me and lock my arms to my sides. I yell out in protest and try in vain to release myself from the strong grip of whoever has me locked down. I watch horrified as the OR nurse starts to unplug all the machines connected to the man lying so lifelessly on the table, and I start screaming like a maniac. The next thing I know, I'm pulled roughly outside and I feel a harsh sting bloom on my cheek. My mouth drops open from the shock, from the man lying dead on the cold, hard steel table, from the hard slap to my cheek, from letting someone die, from everything.

"Get a hold of yourself Dr. Haruno!" Small but strong hands grip onto my biceps and shake me, and my eyes lock onto the cold amber ones of the chief of Konoha Grace, Tsunade. I find it strange that she prefers to be called by her first name, but that's not the issue at hand right now.

The Chief of Surgery's eyes are cold, very cold, and I feel chills pulse violently throughout my body. Why are her eyes so damn cold? A man just died right before our eyes, so her eyes shouldn't be so cold. Suddenly, I feel so angry at this blonde woman standing so nonchalantly before me as if someone didn't just die moments ago. That man could have been an excellent employee, a loving husband, and a brilliant father. Doesn't this woman care? I look deep into her eyes and search for remorse, guilt, anything that would hint towards compassion for the man, employee, husband, father that just died because of our weakness. This was supposed to be one of the best hospitals in the entire world dammit, so why did that man die?

Tsunade abruptly lets go of me and starts walking away, but I stay rooted to my spot too befuddled by so many emotions and thoughts that I can barely register my surroundings.

"Dr. Haruno, follow me now." Tsunade's bark penetrates through all the confusion and chaos inside my heart and mind, and it gives movement to my legs.

We walk for a while until we enter an empty on call room. Once I'm inside, Tsunade shuts the door gently and leans back against it with her arms crossed firmly against her chest. She stares at me grimly for a few seconds before she sighs and closes her eyes. Why the hell did she bring me here? I'm not tired dammit, I'm angry, confused, despaired, and so many other negative emotions!

"Cry," is her sole command and I just stare at her genuinely confused.

"Excuse me?"

She opens one amber eye and stares at me annoyed for several seconds before she closes it again and repeats the same command. Why the hell is she telling me to cry? I don't feel like crying, I feel like throwing a chair against a wall and watching it shatter to millions of tiny pieces. I feel like punching through a wall and demolishing a whole building, but I don't feel like crying. I open my mouth to give her a snarky retort but something wet glides down my cheek. I raise my hand to my face and softly use the pads of my fingers to touch my cheek. When I pull them back, there's moisture on them. What the hell? Am I sweating? The weather isn't even warm and this hospital is air conditioned. My subconscious stares at me pointedly and when I glance at the mirror hanging nearby on the wall, I discover that it's not sweat rolling down my cheeks but tears. I'm crying?

I look at my reflection and I mean really look. My cheeks, nose, and eyes are puffy and red, my hair has fallen out of its braid, and my entire body is trembling. What alarm me most are my eyes. They're so dark, like the color of thriving evergreens, and they're wild and panicked. Falling from my eyes and rolling slowly down my cheeks are crystalline tears. Some of them roll over my slightly parted lips and drip into my mouth. They taste so salty. The tears that roll around my mouth gather at my chin before dropping to the ground like raindrops. Suddenly, my trembling becomes worse and I have to bite my bottom lip hard to prevent the sobs from escaping. What the hell is wrong with me? I bring my stare back up to my eyes and stare at myself in wonder for a few more seconds.

Then, like the calm before the storm, my body stops trembling and my tears stop falling, and I feel oddly at peace even though I know thunderclouds are approaching. I wait in silent anticipation for the storm to hit and when it does, the heavens split open and the tears start falling from my aqueducts in waterfalls. I screw my eyes shut as heart-wrenching sobs wrack my body, and I am powerless to stop the onslaught of emotions from taking over. I fall to my knees and bring my hands to my face not wanting this glorious hospital's Chief of Surgery to witness my despair, my weakness.

Doctors are said to be cruel and robotic with no sense of compassion because they've witnessed so much death and have caused so much death, all their emotions have dried up and evaporated into nothingness. However, that belief is shattered when Tsunade, this hospital's admired Chief of Surgery, falls to her knees before me and pulls me into her embrace. My eyes fly open in shock from the gesture. Is this woman, revered as the most talented and brilliant surgeon of all time, really hugging me? When she hugs me tighter I know that she is indeed holding me in her embrace. My eyes slowly flutter closed and I once again submit to the torment of losing my first patient, but I relish in the fact that I am not alone and have this woman with so, so cold amber eyes holding me close and tight.

* * *

It's absolutely imperative that a fresh out of med school doctor experiences the pain of losing their first patient. The pain is so overwhelming and so real it destroys any notion the new doctor has of saving every life. It opens blinded eyes and destroys petty illusions transforming them into harsh reality. Losing a patient is absolutely imperative for a doctor. It molds them into something greater, better. The pain crushes their spirits, their hopes, but it rebirths their motivation their drive to become better so they don't lose additional lives.

Tsunade told me all of this and that was a while ago. She left me alone so I can come to terms with the tragedy that has befallen me, so I can stare long and hard at the invisible blood staining my hands and accept the harsh reality, so my spirit can be crushed only to be healed anew stronger and better. Before she left me she also said that only doctors who have experienced losing patients can truly hope to become fully realized doctors, healers of the world, and I believe her now.

Before today, I truly believed I could save every endangered life that was rushed into the hospital. I was such a fool to believe that. Now I see that as doctors we can only do our best and leave the rest up to the entity known as God.

Slowly I stand up from my kneeling position on the cold hard ground and brush the dust off my scrubs. When I look at my reflection in the mirror I flinch. I don't know the woman in the mirror. Her skin is pale, her hair is lank, her lips are turned downwards in a frown, and her emerald eyes are cold and unfeeling. Oh God, this woman that I'm staring at is me and I can't believe how robotic, how monstrous I look. I look so desolate and miserable. My subconscious glares at me with her foot tapping loudly against the ground and her arms crossed angrily over her chest.

"Get over it and keep moving forward," she yells at me with her eyes, and I'm thankful that I have a good subconscious and not an annoying one like in those animated shows.

I continue staring at my reflection, waiting patiently to see if any more tears or pathetic whimpers want to escape, but nothing happens and I'm glad. Taking a big swig of air, I smooth over my scrubs, put my hair into a bun, pinch some life into my deadened cheeks, and steel my resolve with a new motto. I know I can't save everyone, but I can damn well try.

* * *

It's been a week since my pathetic despair episode at the hospital and I feel much better than when I did the first day. My smile doesn't quite reach my eyes yet but I know it will eventually. On my two days off from the hospital I called Sasuke and told him I couldn't come in. When he questioned my intentions, I just sniffed loudly and fake hiccupped to sound like I was crying. I will never understand why men don't like dealing with crying women. We're not that bitchy are we?

I realized a few days ago just how much I love children. I was absentmindedly walking around the hospital because there were no emergencies that needed critical attention, and I ended up at the nursery where they kept all the newborns. I stayed there for an hour or so just staring through the window at all the adorable babies. My smile almost reached my eyes that day but it was short by just a few centimeters. I want children of my own someday, two boys and a girl. I want the boys to take after their father and the girl to take after me. Call me clichéd but that's how I envision my older years.

Today's another peaceful day at the hospital and I'm just walking around in the lobby of the main floor of the hospital with nothing else better to do. I decide after another good three minutes of walking around aimlessly that I want to go see the newborns and make my way towards the large staircase leading up to the second floor. As I take my first step onto the staircase, I take one last glance behind me to see if anything remotely interesting will happen, and I stop dead in my tracks with one foot halfway up to the next step when I see a distressed looking Naruto walk in through the front entrance, accompanied by a beautiful dark haired woman.

I've only ran into Naruto a couple of times over the past two months, and each time was because he visited Sasuke, and I happened to be working. I'm always glad when Naruto comes into the office because his naturally cheerful attitude and upbeat personality really liven up the atmosphere and cause me to feel happy. It's strange to see Naruto now wearing a worried expression.

The handsome, bubbly blond man searches the entire lobby, probably trying to determine what he should do, when his cerulean eyes land on me. Instantly, relief floods his face and he whispers something hurriedly to the beautiful dark haired woman standing next to him, who nods and follows him with her hand gently held in his big one as he makes his way towards me. When they're almost near me, I step off the staircase and smile brightly at the both of them. My mouth parts when I can fully analyze the woman who came into the hospital with Naruto. She's gorgeous.

She has long, straight dark hair that shines plum in the light. Her ivory skin looks creamy, soft, and positively flawless. Jesus, her body is toned but very curvy and her bust is as big as Tsunade's! Her facial features are very feminine and soft, yet they're defined and regal. But the most remarkable, I would say, feature about this enviable woman standing before me is her eyes. They're an otherworldly tint of purple and they appear to almost have no pupils. This woman is so very breathtaking, taking up an almost ethereal presence with a certain majesty and grace that is derived from royalty, but her eyes seem so familiar. Where have I seen them before? Then, it hits me. Could she be related to Neji? I remember the first time I saw him at Tenten's dojo I was enthralled with his pearlescent orbs. This woman has the exact same lovely eyes!

"Sakura," Naruto exclaims loudly when he's about two yards away, and I can hear the relief in his voice as well.

"Hi Naruto, how are you?"

"I'm good! How are you?"

"I'm good as well." Naruto's smile turns loving and gentle when he turns his cerulean gaze onto the woman beside him who blushes prettily. Jeez, even her blush is pretty.

"This is my wife, Hinata Hyuga." My mouth falls slightly open and for a moment I'm shell shocked.

This goddess is the Hinata Hyuga, heiress to the ancient Hyuga clan? I must be dreaming because this feels so unreal. She's practically royalty. Hell, she is royalty. Suddenly, I feel extremely self-conscious of myself and I frown internally because I never care how people perceive me, but being in the presence of a clan heiress is unnerving.

"Nice to meet you," her soft voice reaches my ears and I note that even her voice is lovely.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Sakura Haruno, an intern at this wonderful hospital. Nice to meet you," I give her my best smile and offer her my right hand which she gladly shakes and returns my smile with a shy one of her own. God, even her smile is beautiful. Naruto sure is a lucky man. Speaking of which, I'm curious as to why he's here.

"So, why are you guys here?" Naruto's ocean blue eyes take on a worried glint again when he gazes back at me, and an out of place frown forms on his usually optimistic face.

"We're here because of Hinata."

At the mention of the clan heiress' name, I'm instantly on alarm. Oh God, the heiress to one of the most influential and prestigious families in the world is at Konoha Grace Hospital, which isn't surprising since we are one of the best if not the best hospital in the world, and Naruto thinks there's something wrong with her. My nerves begin to tighten from the weight placed abruptly on my shoulders. What if Naruto and Hinata decide they want me to be their doctor? I'm only an intern. If something awful were to happen to Hinata while under my care, my life and career would be officially over. The Hyuga clan would purchase my misery.

"What seems to be the problem Ms. Hyuga?"

"Please, just call me Hinata. By the way, I'm an Uzumaki now and no longer a Hyuga." My eyes widen in shock. The Hyuga heiress is asking, no, telling me to call her by her first name and I'm not even friends with her yet! I gulp, now feeling very uncomfortable.

"What seems to be the problem Hinata?"

Even though I'm nervous as hell, I can't help but smile at this enchanting woman. She seems so soft spoken, kind, gentle, and compassionate. She opens her mouth to speak, but Naruto beats her to it and she glares at him.

"It all started last week. She started vomiting out of nowhere every morning and sometimes during the day. When we went out for ramen at our favorite restaurant the other day, she begged me to leave because the smells were making her nauseous. Then yesterday morning, she started having cramps and started screamed at me." Naruto's eyes look wild, panicked, and at that instant I know just how much he loves Hinata.

"And when I asked her if she was on her, you know," Naruto looks uncomfortable. Jeez, why are men so afraid to utter the word period?

"She said she wasn't. I tried giving her some regular take home meds but they're not working. Sakura, please help her!" Naruto looks desperate and I want to giggle at how adorable he's being worrying so much about Hinata like the wonderful husband he is. Hmm, if my suspicions are correct, Hinata isn't suffering from any kind of illness but from something else.

"Okay, go ahead and check in and I'll go look for someone to help you." I turn to ascend the staircase but a petite hand gently grasps my wrist. When I turn around, Hinata is holding onto me with pleading eyes.

"Please, we want you to help us." Her requests sets my mind reeling. She wants me to help them?

"I want to but I'm only an intern. I still have a lot of experience to acquire."

"Please Sakura, we want and trust you the most." Naruto gives me the most adorable puppy dog eyes he can muster and they pull at my heartstrings. Ugh, if something goes wrong I'm going to castrate Naruto.

"Fine," I sigh and head upstairs to prep the patient room we're going to use.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the three of us are in a room and Hinata and Naruto are staring at me expectantly. I shift uncomfortably in my standing position and bite my bottom lip. Oh boy, this next portion might get a little rough. I clear my throat and stand up straight, looking as serious as I can in front of this beautiful couple but failing miserably. I wonder how they'll react to my question.

"So, Naruto, Hinata," I look both of them square in the eyes, "have you two had sexual intercourse over the past three months?" Instantly, they both sport dark red blushes and put on the most bashful looks I've ever seen which is expected from Hinata but surprising from Naruto.

"S-Sakura now is not the time to pry into our sex lives!" Naruto splutters and I roll my eyes at him.

"Naruto you idiot, I'm not prying and will never have the desire to pry into your sex life for any other reason other than professionally. Answer the goddamn question." I give Naruto a slight glare which makes him gulp and look at me nervously.

Jeez, he's a grown man and he's still reacting to sex like a little thirteen year old. C'mon Naruto, I bet you were a total playboy in High School. Don't turn all mushy and shy on me now!

"Well?" I quirk up one eyebrow at him and he swallows one more time before he opens his mouth to speak.

"Oh for the love of, Naruto just tell her that yes we did have sex about three months ago!" Naruto and I gawk at Hinata, surprised by her sudden and bold outburst.

I straighten myself out and try to put on a serious face again but fail.

"Okay then, Hinata I'm going to need you to pee in this cup." I push a small clear specimen into Hinata's hands and point to the restroom. She frowns slightly before standing up and walking slowly into the restroom.

After about a minute or so, Hinata emerges from the bathroom with a pretty blush forming on her cheeks. She hands the cup over to me hesitantly.

"Um, Sakura, is this for what I think it's for?" She asks me softly, and I look at her with kind eyes. If this sample turns out to be positive, will she be happy, ecstatic, sad, or maybe even angry? How will Naruto react? I glance at the blond and he's staring intensely at the cup probably trying to decipher the meaning behind my actions.

I take the cup over to the white countertop and take out one pregnancy test strip from the white cupboard.

"Sakura what's that?" I look over my shoulder to find that Naruto is standing about a foot or so behind me and is eyeing the test strip in my hand. I choose not to respond and proceed to dunk the strip halfway into Hinata's urine.

If a woman is pregnant, any decent pregnancy test will detect human chorionic gonadotropin. After about three minutes, the strip starts to change and we all wait with baited breath until it turns completely blue.

"Sakura, what's that and why is it blue," I look up at Naruto shocked before I switch my gaze to Hinata. She has a gentle, loving look in her pearlescent eyes, and she's cradling her not yet quite swollen belly tenderly.

"Sakura answer me! What's all this about?" Naruto looks frustrated now and he's actually glaring at me. Oh Naruto, you're going to make an excellent father.

"Congratulations Naruto, Hinata, you guys are going to be parents." Naruto's cerulean orbs widen to the size of golf balls and his mouth drops completely open. He turns to Hinata still shocked and she offers him a gentle smile.

Tentatively, Naruto steps up to Hinata and kneels down on one knee. He lifts one hand, presumably to lay it on Hinata's stomach, but pauses halfway and looks up at Hinata asking for permission. She smiles lovingly at Naruto before she takes his large hand in her two petite ones and lays it gently on her stomach. Naruto rubs her belly in slow circular motions for a few seconds before the brightest, goofiest smile I've ever seen blooms on Naruto's face.

"I, I'm going to be a father," Naruto whispers to himself quietly as if he's trying to accept the newfound truth.

"I'm going to be a father," he says a little louder.

"I'm going to be a father!" he yells so loud I'm sure the whole hospital heard him, and he sweeps Hinata into his arms and swings her around in a circle. When he sets her down again he plants a sweet, gentle kiss on her lips and cradles her face in his two big, tan hands.

"I won't let anything happen to you and our child. Even if I leave this world as a mortal I'll return as a spirit and continue to protect you two, believe it." Naruto lays his forehead on Hinata's and just stares into her eyes with so much love and adoration I start to tear up. Feeling out of place and wanting to give them some privacy, I step out of the room and softly close the door behind me.

I head to the nursery, suddenly having the great urge to see newborn babies. On my way there, I pass by a mirror and freeze when I catch my reflection in the mirror. The woman I'm staring at has bright eyes and a radiant smile that reaches all the way to her eyes. Tears are falling from her emerald orbs but I know they're tears of happiness. Then, I vaguely remember the last thing Tsunade told me before she left me alone in the on call room last week. Even though we can't save every life, we also can't stop new life from appearing.

* * *

Before Naruto and Hinata left the hospital, they invited me to a dinner party their hosting next week to celebrate Naruto's birthday. According to them, all their close friends would be present including Sasuke, and that I was now one of their close friends so my attendance at the gathering was mandatory. I tried to decline but the two of them wouldn't have any of it, and they left the hospital as two new prospective parents.

I hug my coat tighter around me as I step out of the hospital. It's been getting really chilly lately in preparation for the coming fall. I look up at the overcast sky with a small smile on my face. I can't believe Naruto and Hinata are going to be parents. Naruto's so goofy and Hinata's so shy, who would've thought they'd have kids? I'm sure their child will be extremely good looking since both of his or her parents are.

I continue to stare up at the sky and listen to the clicking of my heels against the pavement, oblivious to my surroundings. It's only when I'm afraid that I'll accidentally trip and fall from unawareness that I look back ahead of me. The sight that greets me stops me in my tracks and causes my lips to part. I'm about three or so meters away from my car, but I'm one meter away from a sleek cobalt blue Maserati GTS and the drop dead gorgeous man leaning casually against it, with his hands plunged lazily into the pockets of his jeans and wearing his signature panty dropper smirk.

"Hn, hungry?" His deep, smooth baritone reaches my ears and I can't believe I went a whole week without hearing his voice.

"Yes," and it's the truth. I am hungry but not for food, and Sasuke's eyes darken when he realizes the double meaning behind my answer.

Let's just say, I didn't need my coat or a blanket to keep me warm that night.

* * *

**Woo, Chapter 6! You guys are so lucky I'm updating so fast. I hope you guys enjoyed this lovely chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Wow, it feels like ages have passed since I've written a chapter for this story when it's only been a little over a month. I know, I know, a little over a month is still outrageously inconsiderate of me. But hey, I'm a college student now and I still have other priorities to take care of, so be content with and enjoy what I can give you.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter because so far it's the longest. I should be sleeping but instead I'm writing for my and your pleasure.

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Rated M for mature themes. Reader discretion is strongly advised.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Naruto's and Hinata's dinner party rolls around faster than I expected, and I'm no more willing to go than when the paradoxical couple first invited me. I stare at my reflection in the mirror for what feels like the millionth time. I allow my eyes to rove over every inch of my body, trying but thankfully failing to spot any anomaly from my outfit. It's nothing fancy, just a simple, red spaghetti strap dress that ends several inches below my knee. It's enough to be deemed as tantalizing, but not enough to be deemed as slutty. I snort recalling the ridiculously high skirt hemlines of the other women at work.

Reaching down to the hemline of my dress, I gently glide my fingertips up my thighs, across my waist, over my abdomen, and up my breasts, relishing in the feel of the satiny material. I have to admit that the dress is lovely and I remember its significance. It was the dress I wore on my first date. A small laugh sounds past my lips when I remember the man's reaction. He was speechless and blushing fifty shades of red. By the end of the night, the dress was off my body and discarded along with my underwear on the floor of his room. Another giggle flits past my lips when a thought strikes me. I wonder if I can repeat the scenario with my discarded dress and undergarments with Sasuke. Tingling warmth develops deep in my belly and I extinguish it immediately. There's no use getting turned on when there's no man within the vicinity to help relieve me of my tension.

Smiling brightly at my reflection in the mirror, I give myself a nod of approval and head towards my bedroom door with my red hand purse clutched loosely in my hands. If people catch mistakes with my outfit later on at the party, then it'll be their problem.

The drive to the Uzumaki's residence is mostly quiet save for the thrum of my engine as I speed along the highway. I rolled the windows down a couple of miles ago, allowing the cold wind to whip through my hair and across my face. The chill of the wind is pleasant on my skin and helps to alleviate my growing anxiety. I quashed it earlier in the day, trying to boost up my confidence, but now that I'm so achingly close to the party the nervous fritters have returned and with a vengeance. What if Naruto's and Hinata's friends don't like me? What if I don't like them? What if I make a complete fool of myself? I don't think I'd handle the situation well if I totally embarrassed myself by doing something unheard of or out of place. Oh God, just thinking of the repercussions that would ensue makes my skin tingle and my head spin.

I arrive at the Uzumaki's residence sooner than I'd hoped and I'm breathless at the sight that meets my eyes. Their house, excuse me, I mean mansion, is located at the basin of a semi-valley right next to a crystalline lake. The pathway leading to the front doors is laid out with cobblestone and lined with a plethora of rose bushes and other exotic flora that I'm not familiar with. For miles on end all I can see are acres of lush green grass that end at the edge of a maple forest.

The house itself is a marvel to behold. It has arched windows and numerous balconies with open floor to ceiling windows and wrought iron railings. The structure is made from fine burgundy brick and stands high and mighty. The overall architecture of the building oozes French influence. I know the Hyugas are extremely wealthy but I never thought the extremity would be this extravagant. Okay, maybe on some level deep within the confines of my heart I knew the prestigious family was filthy rich, but I secretly believed they weren't that rich.

I make my way to the double front doors and stop at the top step. I immediately notice an intricately carved doorbell on the right side of the doors and looming cameras mounted at the corners of the doors. Hmm, it's always good to be cautious, especially since the paradoxical couple is expecting a baby soon.

It's now or never and I inhale a big swig of air, using my iron will to force my jittery nerves down. There's no point in being nervous since I don't care what people think or say about me. At least that's what I keep chanting to myself. My subconscious shakes her head from side to side in a condescending manner, appalled that I actually care, on some level, what people think of me. I grit my teeth in annoyance. Why am I acting like such a sissy? Feeling the last of my nerves dissolve, I square my shoulders, tilt my chin up, and lift my hand to press the doorbell. However, the sound of a click causes my hand to pause mid-air and I watch with bated breath as the large double doors slowly swing open to reveal a middle aged man wearing a loose fitting, white linen short tucked into black slacks and accompanied by shiny black dress shoes.

"Ah, Miss Haruno, we've been expecting you. Please come in and I'll lead you to where Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki are hosting their dinner party." The middle aged man, who I'm assuming is Naruto's and Hinata's butler, ushers me into the mansion with a flourish of his arm, and I tentatively take a step inside. Once I'm completely in the building, the butler proceeds to gently close the door, but I don't register the soft click of the lock being set in place as I'm too stupefied by the grandeur of Naruto's and Hinata's mansion.

From my position, the lobby extends into open space westward and eastward. Giant, ornate crystal chandeliers hang from the ceilings in a row and sparkle beautifully, illuminating the lobby in dazzling golden light. The floors are covered with alternating black and white tiles, creating a hypnotizing checker pattern, and gleam under the light of the chandeliers. A long, red carpet extends horizontally and parallel from my position along the length of the lobby and continues around the bend of a corner. In front of me is a wooden paneled wall with human sized picture frames poised tactfully all along the entirety of the wall. Inside the frames are pictures of various people. Some I recognize like Naruto, Hinata, and even Sasuke, but the rest of the faces are unfamiliar to me.

"If you'll follow me please Miss Haruno. The ballroom is right this way." I turn to the butler and find a soft smile playing on his lips, but his aged gray eyes are twinkling with mirth.

He doesn't say another word and swivels on his spot so that I'm now facing his back. He looks over his shoulder at me, silently asking if I'm ready, and I give him the affirmative to lead on. He gives me another of his soft smiles before facing forward once again and beginning to walk. He takes the west wing of the mansion and walks with all the signs and ease of familiarity, as if he's treaded the halls of this mansion for years which I'm sure he has. As we make our way to the ballroom, I take inventory of my surroundings and create a rough mental map just in case I need to leave early in the event of something unfortunate. Jeez, I'm already acting like something wrong is going to happen.

After several minutes of silent treading, we finally stop in front of two, dark brown double doors with golden handles. The butler gently places his hands on the handles, one hand per handle, and looks over his shoulder at me, asking me with his eyes if I'm ready to enter. I bite my bottom lip and play with the zipper on my hand purse as millions of butterflies erupt from the pit of my stomach and flutter all throughout my body. The butler must sense my hesitation because he releases his grip on the handles and turns to me, places his hands on my shoulders and gives me a reassuring squeeze.

"You have nothing to fear Miss Haruno. You're perhaps the most beautiful woman I've seen enter this place the entire night, aside from Mrs. Uzumaki of course. You'll be fine." He looks at me with incredibly sincere gray eyes and I feel myself believing his words, confidence building up inside my body and providing me with a sense of ease.

I smile when I realize he said that I am beautiful and not that I look beautiful. There's a clear difference from being beautiful and looking beautiful. I'm thankful that he said I am beautiful because it definitely adds an extra boost to my confidence. I inhale a lungful of air and square my shoulders, tilting my chin up in a defiant manner. I stare at the butler straight in the eyes and signal to him that I'm ready. He nods his head in approval before turning around again to place his hands on the handles.

I wait holding my breath, as if the butler is unveiling some kind of magnificent present, and then he pushes the doors open.

* * *

When I step into the room I'm suddenly transported from Naruto's and Hinata's ballroom to a scene taken straight from Beauty and the Beast. Massive crystal chandelier, stone pillars, candelabras, towering arched French windows, glossy marble floors, intricate crown moldings…Tables littered with fine delicacies are lined up against the western wing of the ballroom, and lined up on the eastern wing are tasteful loveseats and chaises for the guests to sit on. The center of the ballroom is clear of any obtrusions, but a sea of people effectively blocks my view of the floor.

A gentle nudge at the small of my back brings me back to earth and I step deeper into the room. It's then that I notice that everyone has stopped whatever preoccupied them, and now their eyes are trained on me. Oh God, here come the nerves. My subconscious hisses at me to keep my cool and plunder my nerves deep into the ground. Hmm, that's easier said than done. I scan my eyes over the throng of people and try desperately to spot out anyone I know. Suddenly, a mop of unruly blond hair and a pair of beautiful ocean blue eyes pops into my view, and the next thing I know the ground disappears beneath my feet and I'm encased in a breath-squeezing bear hug.

"Sakura, you made it!" I laugh and pat Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, I can't breathe. Put me down!" Instantly, the energetic blond places me down on the ground and gives me a sheepish grin.

"Sorry about that. I'm just so excited that you're here at my birthday party." I give Naruto my brightest smile and then remember the gift I brought for him.

I open my hand purse and pull out an orange colored envelope. On the front are four simple words, 'For Naruto, From Sakura.' I hand over the envelope to Naruto who flips it over in his hands a couple of times before carefully opening it with eager eyes. I watch him with uncertainty as he pulls out the humble birthday greeting card and opens it. His eager eyes first express pleasant surprise then unsuppressed joy when he peels off the Ichiraku gift card attached to the greeting card. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding, relieved that Naruto likes his gift.

"I didn't know what to get you since we kind of just met, but I remember you saying something about frequenting that ramen shop with Hinata, so I thought you might enjoy a couple of free dates."

"This is perfect Sakura. Thanks!" Naruto proceeds to encase me in another bear hug and lifts me off the ground. With a higher point of view I'm able to see Hinata approaching from behind, being more beautiful than the first time I met her.

"Hinata," I exclaim loudly hoping Naruto will put me down. He places me gently on my feet and swivels to face his incoming wife. She walks straight up to me and gives me a friendly hug.

"Look Hinata, Sakura gave me a gift card to Ichiraku's!" His tone expresses so much joy from such a simple gift it makes my heart swell with happiness and contentment. I laugh when Hinata scrunches her nose in slight disgust.

"Naruto, she gave that card to you not me, so you can use all of it on yourself." Hinata winks secretly at me and I smile in understanding.

She's sick of the stuff, but Naruto whoops for joy probably enthused that he gets to spend the entire gift card on himself. He wraps up Hinata in his arms and gives her a gentle squeeze and a tender kiss on the cheek, whispering a soft thank you into her ear. Hinata giggles and cups Naruto's face in her petite hands before reciprocating his kiss with a kiss on his tanned face. A chorus of sighs reverberates throughout the ballroom from the sea of people, and I glance at them to find practically all the women swooning with admiration and envy. I understand their desire to have a relationship as wonderful as Naruto's and Hinata's.

The thought of relationships reminds me of the relationship that I'm currently in, and I search the throng of elegantly dressed bodies for a head of messy black hair resembling a chicken's ass and eyes as dark as onyx stones. If Sasuke is Naruto's best friend, then he has to be at this party. I scrutinize the entire crowd and a strange feeling of melancholy begins to form in my chest when I don't spot him. Where the hell could he be? I glance over the crowd a second time and almost give up when I catch movement in the corner of my eye in the direction of the food tables. There, leaning casually with one shoulder against a stone pillar, one hand stuffed lazily in the pocket of his black dress pants, and the other holding a flute of champagne which he's currently lifting to his smirking lips, is none other than the Greek god himself.

The breath catches in my throat and suddenly the rest of the room evaporates into thin air, and all that's left in the grand ballroom is us two. Our gazes connect in an unbreakable bond and spark an electric current. All I can focus on are how endless his eyes seem. Even from my distance I can clearly see their fathomlessness. Then, slowly, tantalizingly, his lips tilt into one of the sexiest smirks I've ever seen and my insides implode in a wave of heat. I suddenly have the urge to fan myself and almost do it if I weren't hyperaware of all the people present in the room. They'd surely look at me as if I was crazy.

A large, tan hand waving itself in front of my face interrupts my connection with Sasuke and I turn to Naruto who raises one eyebrow and follows the direction of my gaze. When he catches sight of Sasuke leaning against the stone pillar, he gives me a knowing smirk which causes heat to rise to my cheeks. Naruto leans in close to me and cups his hand around my ear so it appears to the rest of the crowd, who's watching us with piqued interest, that he's telling me something super confidential.

"Hey Sakura, there's a room right down the hall that I've secretly kept unlocked, so in case you and the bastard need to, you know, relieve some tension, you guys can go there!" Naruto pulls away and smiles innocently at me as if he didn't just whisper one of the most perverted things I've ever had the displeasure of hearing into my ear. He then proceeds to face the sea of people and uses his hands to shoo them away, telling them to get on with the party.

A tiny hand gently grasps onto my forearm and I turn to a smiling Hinata.

"Thanks again for coming Sakura. It really means a lot to Naruto and me."

"Thanks for the invite Hinata. Your home is beautiful and you're even more beautiful." Hinata blushes a rosy red and I get the feeling that she's been receiving the very same compliments the entire night.

"Please, enjoy your evening and if there's anything you need, I'm begging you to pull me away." I'm confused by her statement and it must show because she turns around and grazes her eyes over the guests. She has to entertain them all but she doesn't want to. I laugh good naturedly at her predicament and she gives me an amused smile and a pleading look before she glides away to be lost amongst the elites and socialites of east Miami.

I examine the ballroom a second time, marveling at its grandeur and beauty, before a subtle grumble resounds from my stomach. With a rosy blush gracing my cheeks, I make my way towards the dinner tables intent on filling my stomach with food before it verbally protests a second time.

* * *

The food was exquisite. I could hardly control myself when I saw the extent of the variety of food. There were roasts, stews, soups, casseroles, salads, and other delectable sides. I was practically giddy with excitement when I reached the dessert portion of the dinner tables. The drinks were just as amazing as the food. Imported red and white wines were laid out impressively on wine racks, giving the guests head-spinning options and choices. I chose a plate of roasted lamb seasoned with red wine and herbs, served with roasted leeks, parsnips, and red potatoes, and accompanied by a glass of The Seeker Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. For dessert I picked up a delectable slice of German chocolate cheesecake which I ate with such fervor the rest of the room vanished. God I love food.

Now, I'm sitting on one of the loveseats resting a bit and contentedly sipping on my second glass of wine, watching the graceful flutter of beautiful dresses as men and women glide along the ballroom floor. Thoughts of Sasuke flutter across my mind now and then, but I push them away wanting to enjoy the night without thoughts of a certain dark haired, dark eyed man constantly occupying the niches of my mind.

Above the crescendo of the orchestra's playing, and I can't believe there's an orchestra, I faintly hear my name being called. Suddenly, a brunette with twin buns pops out of the mass of swirling bodies pulling enthusiastically on the wrists of a beautiful blonde haired woman and a handsome man with brown hair styled in a way that makes his head resemble a pineapple. It's Tenten. She stops in front of me and blinds me with her pearly whites. Behind her, both the blonde haired woman and the brown haired man look annoyed. I give them an apologetic smile and mouth sorry. Both of them return my smile with amused smirks.

"Hey Sakura, I want you to meet—"

A perfectly manicured hand latches onto Tenten's arm and none too gently shoves her aside.

"Hey!" Tenten huffs when the blonde woman ignores her completely and flips her hair with a flick of her wrist. Jeez, talk about high and mighty.

"Hi, I'm Ino Yamanaka, heiress to Yamanaka Industries and aspiring fashion designer!" She offers her perfectly manicured hand to me and I shake it warmly. Immediately, I notice Ino's sheer beauty and begin to feel insecure and inferior.

Her golden hair is long and silky smooth, reaching her waist and styled into a ponytail secured by a violet ribbon. Her eyes are a pretty sky blue, accentuated by long, dark blonde lashes, and sparkle with a certain vivacity that screams, 'don't mess with me.' The lines and planes of her face are hard yet soft, emanating a vibe of fierce beauty that's almost amazon in nature. Her violet clad body is long and slender, the form fittingness of her dress revealing lush curves, while the sections of flawless naked skin reveal taut muscles. All in all it's easy to discern that she is a drop dead gorgeous blonde bombshell, lethally beautiful yet secretly cunning.

Although I feel like an ant in her presence, I take an instant liking to her. I guess it's natural for me to like women with strong personalities just like mine. Birds of the same feather do flock together.

"Shika, get your lazy ass here right now before I drag it here," she hisses to the handsome brown haired man. He mutters something under his breath which sounds vaguely similar to, 'troublesome,' but I shake it off.

"This lazy bum of a man, is Shikamaru Nara, heir to Nara Industries, aspiring technology guru, and my fiancé!" When she says the word fiancé, I'm genuinely taken by surprise. Although Shikamaru is better looking than most men and is by no means mediocre, he's certainly not the best looking man I've ever seen. That spot currently belongs to Sasuke. I would have thought Ino would go for lethally beautiful men just like her.

Despite my musings, I can clearly see the depth of love she possesses for Shikamaru, and Shikamaru for Ino. The way her eyes shine brighter just by looking at him, and the way his eyes soften when she talks, speaks volumes. Ah, the power of symbolic speech.

"Yo," Shikamaru drawls lazily. Jeez, he really is lazy.

The man is tall and leanly built with a very relaxed posture, complete with sagging shoulders and hands stuffed deep into his pant pockets. His face is angular, just like Ino's, and his fair complexion is flawless. His chocolate brown eyes are warm, but there's an undercurrent of something akin to danger lurking beneath their depths as if he's hatching some sort of plan. Ino did say he wanted to be a technology guru which means he must be very intelligent. I notice black studs in his earlobes and a thought of Sasuke flashes like lightning in my mind.

"Hi."

Shikamaru shuffles awkwardly on his feet and I awkwardly scratch my nose. I cough to try and diffuse the sudden tension that's come around us, but to no avail. Thankfully, Ino saves the day by rolling her eyes and huffing loudly, effectively cutting through the tension like room temperature butter.

"Ugh, just go already Shika, I'll be fine."

Shikamaru gives her a very sweet kiss on the cheek, nods at me, and proceeds to walk away. Ino watches his retreating back with goo-goo eyes and I giggle into my hand.

"You guys are very sweet."

"Thanks, but sometimes I'll never understand how I fell for a lazy bum like him."

"Just like how I'll never understand how I fell for an authoritarian jerk like Neji," Tenten quips in before I can respond.

Ino sits down beside me on the loveseat while Tenten occupies the lounge chair across from us.

"So, Sakura, how do you know Hinata and the idiot?" Oh, so she thinks Naruto is a goofball sometimes too.

"Well, I met Naruto during my interview at Uchiha Corporations, and I met Hi—"

"Oh God, please don't tell me, you applied to be Sasuke's secretary?"

Ino stares at me intensely and I squirm in my seat starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Well, yes but—"

"And did the bastard hire you?"

I glance at Tenten, silently asking her with my eyes what's Ino's deal, but she just shakes her head.

"Of course I did. The pay was—"

"Oh my God, why didn't you reject it?" Ino looks furious and I get the sneaking suspicion that Ino hates Sasuke, but she's making me sound disgraceful by accepting the job and I will not tolerate it.

"Okay look, I only accepted the job because the pay was really good, and I wanted to prove something to myself and to my parents."

"Did you sleep with him?"

The question catches me off guard and I feel my face instantly heat up from the embarrassment.

"E-Excuse me," I splutter indignant. There is no way I'm answering that question.

"Just answer the question Pinky." Did she just call me Pinky? Okay, this chick is seriously ruining her first impression.

"My personal affairs are really none of your—"

"Oh for the love of God, just say yes or no," she hisses at me. I glance at Tenten mortified that this woman I just met is interrogating me about my sex life and silently plead for help. Tenten just sits rigidly on the chaise, probably as mortified as I am that Ino is asking such an inappropriate and personal question.

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Hell no!" I sigh.

"Then yes, I slept with him Blondie." Ino's eyes narrow fractionally at my given nickname for her, but otherwise she ignores it completely and continues with her brutal scrutiny. Jeez, talk about fierce beauty.

"Ugh, and here I thought you were going to be different because Meatballs over here was so ecstatic to introduce me to you," she jabs her thumb at Tenten who, unbeknownst to Ino, gives her the finger and winks at me.

"She is different Ino."

"Really? How?" Ino sarcastically rolls her eyes and I get the sudden urge to slap her silly. Is she somehow insinuating that I'm a whore?

"It's been more than a month and she's still working as Sasuke's secretary." Ino opens her mouth to probably make a snide comeback, but she closes it as if she's just come to a revelation.

"Wait, you've lasted for more than a month?" Her eyes lose quite a bit of heat as she mulls something over in her head, and I immediately seize the opportunity to pacify this enraged bombshell.

"Yes, contrary to what you might think," I give Ino a pointed look, "I do have limits."

Ino processes the new tidbits of information for a few seconds before another chunk of heat dissipates from her icy blue eyes.

"Which are?" I roll my eyes at her. God, this woman is insufferable.

"Our relationship is purely friendly yet business with ounces of casual sex here and there, and that's it I promise."

I give Ino a pleading look, willing her to just accept my situation and let it go. She stares at me for several more seconds, her gaze hard, before she sighs and the remaining heat in her eyes freezes over.

"Look, I can tell you're a great person and a strong woman who won't take shit from anyone, but Sasuke's a bastard who doesn't take women seriously and he'll break your heart if you're not careful. Trust me, I've been there." The seriousness of her words combined with the sincerity of her eyes stirs something inside me, and I realize that even though she makes me want to beat the living daylights out of her, I still really like her.

I shake my head from the incredulity of the situation and throw my head back as a laugh bubbles up and explodes past my lips. A few dancing couples in our proximity falter in their steps and glance in our direction, but I'm too drained from my brief battle with Ino to care. When I finally calm down enough to control my laughter and set it to a few giggles here and there, I find Ino with an annoyed expression and Tenten smiling brightly.

"What's so funny?" Ino furrows her brows, probably trying to think if anything that was said thus far had any real humor injected Ino it.

"Nothing, it's just that, I've been trying all night to rid my mind of Sasuke, and I was succeeding until you spontaneously and crazily went Rambo over him." Ino's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and I feel a surge of pride knowing I genuinely shocked her.

"I did get carried away huh?" Ino looks sheepish and I just laugh at her expression. Tenten joins me.

The three of us sit and talk about various topics for a good fifteen to twenty minutes, and I learn a few very interesting things about all the people I've been meeting. For Instance, I learn that their main social circle is close-knit and similar to a family. It's comprised of Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Neji, Ino, Shikamaru, and surprisingly Sasuke. Ino reveals that they all went to elementary, middle, and high school, and college together, and that she was once sickeningly infatuated with Sasuke during their high school years. I laugh at her scrunched up nose when she recounts the days where she would follow Sasuke home.

I also learn that among the seven of them, only Tenten and Neji have been together since high school, a piece of information that Tenten opted to leave out of her background story. I raise an eyebrow at her and she just raises her hands up sheepishly in defense.

"Hey, you never asked!" I shake my head at her and Ino continues on with her stories.

I learn that Hinata's had feelings for Naruto ever since their elementary days in the third grade, and I involuntarily swoon just thinking about the two lovebirds. Ino takes up a dreamy expression similar to mine before we both snap out of it courtesy of Tenten lightly punching both of our arms. Ino and I protest playfully before the three of us burst out laughing.

Apparently, Shikamaru's had feelings for Ino ever since middle school, but he was too afraid to tell her how he felt, especially since their other best friend, a man named Choji who's currently attending culinary school in Paris, had feelings for her at the time as well. Shikamaru finally cracked when another man took Ino out on a date and he caught the two of them making out.

"Man, Shikamaru was so jealous he marched straight up to Sai and decked him in the eye. Sai had a black eye for weeks. Since then, I've always encouraged Shikamaru to wear tanks so he can show off his sexy biceps." A devious glint sparkles in Ino's eyes and she licks her lips hungrily as Shikamaru walks by near where we're sitting.

"God he's so sexy. I think it's that laid back attitude that makes me so attracted. It's indirect confidence." Tenten and I exchange a look before we both erupt in a fit of giggles.

"God Ino, just go into the room that Naruto left unlocked and jump his bones—"

"Cock," I interrupt smoothly. Tenten and I exchange another look and erupt in another fit of giggles. Ino blushes a deep scarlet from teasing.

"Oh, and you're exempt from feeling horny Meatballs? Don't tell me you're not aching with need for Neji at this very moment."

Tenten smiles serenely before she responds with a confident, "No." Ino's blush deepens from misjudgment and Tenten and my laughter becomes more boisterous.

"And you," Ino turns to me looking revengeful, "I bet you can't wait for the next time you and Sasuke—"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence because at that instant the doors to the grand ballroom open with a flourish, and the subject of Ino's sentence walks in, smirk and all, and he's not alone.

A tall, beautiful red head treads gracefully at his side, her hand gripping on gently but firmly to his elbow. She's wearing a deep, deep emerald off-the-shoulder dress that's cut diagonally across the back and held together at her waist by a maroon bow. The slit of her dress is daring, the cut beginning a few inches below her pelvis and ending around her ankles in a flourish, yet it doesn't make her appear whorish. The dress is snug and emphasizes all her enviable curves. The dark green of the dress compliments her straight, flowing red hair and causes her ruby eyes to pop, glisten almost. She has flawless, creamy slightly tanned but still pale skin and elegant facial features. However, her most alluring feature is her eyes, bright and dark. Tinged with that certain danger and menace that men go crazy for.

Briefly, I glance over at Sasuke and I instantly regret it because something in my chest cracks. The look on his face is one of arrogance and triumph, as if he's just won an exotic sports car. He hasn't. He's won something better, her. I try and burn my gaze into him, willing him to look at me and testing to see if he'd still notice me in the presence of the goddess hanging onto his elbow, but he doesn't and the crack becomes deeper.

I shouldn't feel this way I reason with myself. Our relationship is purely friendly. That's what I told Ino. So why does it feel like I'm being victimized in a relationship by a cheating boyfriend?

'Because you are,' a voice deep in the recesses of my mind whispers tauntingly and I repress it harshly.

"Oh my God, Naruto is such an idiot," and I couldn't agree more.

* * *

**Woo, from here on out, things will become a tad bit, a lot, more interesting, so stay tuned for the next installment of, Out of My League.**

**P.S. Reading and reviewing are a married couple, so you can't have one without the other, preferably. Please review or PM to inform me of how well I'm doing, or how much you enjoy this story! Reviews really do encourage authors.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** This chapter was enjoyable to write. It's obvious I enjoyed it because I updated within five days of my last update. Plus, I'm having a good week which also motivates me to write. That's how excited I am about this chapter, and I'm confident you guys will enjoy it as well.

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Rated M for adult themes. Readers under 18, reader discretion is strongly advised.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

I've never seen Sasuke look so ecstatic…

It's unusual, yet here he is at Naruto's birthday extravaganza looking like he just won the jackpot which he did, sort of. I don't like it. I don't like the fact that he looks the way he does now because of the woman gripping onto his elbow so naturally. It's almost as if they were meant for each other. The thought of their predestined union sends waves of jealousy coursing through my veins, and I want nothing more than to march up to the both of them, slap them silly, and walk away in stunned silence. Of course, the crowd would be stunned into silence and not me since I would be walking away.

"Who's she?" The question leaves my mouth clipped and full of burning jealousy.

It briefly shocks me that I could be so jealous. I don't have a romantic relationship with Sasuke, so I don't deserve to be jealous. If anything, I should be happy that he found someone. It's not healthy, appropriate, or professional of me to be sleeping with my boss, yet some part of me absolutely rejects the notion of never being able to feel the fullness of Sasuke's long, hard length inside me. The thought of sex with Sasuke causes warmth to pool in the pit of my stomach and my muscles to clench.

I close my eyes for a moment and briefly imagine him and I on a large bed moving like there's no tomorrow. His skin is hot and sweaty on my own slick, wet skin. His scent is heady and musky, dripping with irrefutable masculinity and serving to intensify the delicious sensation of his throbbing erection pumping in and out of me. A moan of pure ecstasy escapes past my lips.

When I open my eyes, I see spots floating in the air and my head feels slightly hazy like the high after sensational sex. I bring my hand up to my cheeks and discover that they're too warm. Moisture accumulates on the pad of my index finger as I run it along the length of my nose. Sweat? Oh God, I just fantasized about Sasuke and I having hot, wild, passionate sex, and it's externally showing.

Trying to be as discrete as possible, I begin fanning my face and try desperately to think of something other than how delicious Sasuke looks in his suit. It's evident that it was tailored specifically for his body, clinging onto his ripped frame and showcasing the hard muscle underneath, muscle that I've run my eyes over, caressed with my hands, and tasted with my tongue. Jeez, I need to distract myself quick.

My gaze falls on the woman next to him and I realize that looking at her fuels my jealousy which makes me think of her and Sasuke as an item and ultimately Sasuke. Ugh, this night just needs to end.

"—Karin" a soft, feminine voice interrupts my wayward thoughts. Thank God.

I rip my gaze from the infuriating couple walking gracefully towards the food tables, and I turn to the side to find Hinata standing in front of me with her hands cradling the base of her belly tenderly. Her pearlescent eyes are shining with concern. Or is that pity?

"I'm sorry Hinata I wasn't listening," I wince from the scratchy sound of my voice. It's as if I was screaming my lungs out. Or screaming someone's name out…

"Would you please repeat that?"

"She's Naruto's distant cousin, Karin." I almost let go of the wine glass still clutched in my hands despite it being empty. That redhead is Naruto's cousin!

"She's what?" Beside me, Ino and Tenten are looking at me with grave eyes which affirm the words that just came out of Hinata's mouth. I bow my head, not wanting the three women standing before me to witness the jealousy and fury raging within me.

"Hey Pinky, are you alright? Don't tell me you're hurt over the fact that that bastard over there just poisoned our air by escorting in the queen of all sluts. I thought you said your relationship with him was purely a friends-with-benefits kind of situation." Ouch, the accusation in Ino's words sting and I look up to find her with a hand resting on her jut out hip and an annoyed look on her pretty face.

"Okay Ino, you of all people should know that your defamatory jab at Karin is complete bull. Also, why does it matter if Sakura's relationship with Sasuke is currently in the friend zone? They can just move past that and enter the realm of lovers." Tenten turns to me and gives me a playful wink.

"No Tenten," Ino looks pointedly at the pretty brunette.

"I don't know that Karin isn't a complete slut. Why don't you enlighten me? As for Pinky's and the bastard's relationship, it matters because her heart is worth protecting and he's completely worthless." Ino's baby blue eyes are bright and full of emotion, challenging Tenten to retort with something better.

"You think Karin's a slut because she's business partners with Shikamaru, and you're afraid she might try something on him and Shikamaru might respond in a way that will hurt you." Ino's eyes blaze, indignant.

"I am not—"

"Actually," Tenten interrupts, completely disregarding Ino's rising temper.

"I think you're more afraid that Shikamaru might sleep with her than you are that Karin might try something." Tenten's comment seems to hit the nail on the head. The brunette's expression is smug while Ino's is absolutely livid.

How the hell did the conversation topic shift from mine and Sasuke's relationship to Ino's and Shikamaru's? Oh right, Karin. Ugh, I can feel a migraine developing.

"Why you little—"

"Ladies, that's quite enough! We are at my husband's infuriating birthday party, so please try not to kill each other until after it's over." We all turn wide-eyed to Hinata, surprised at her sudden outburst. Ino gives Hinata a low whistle and slaps her good-naturedly on the back.

"Damn, I knew there was a spitfire underneath that gentle exterior." Hinata blushes an attractive red and wrings her wrists.

"Just please wait until the party's over to kill each other. I still have to entertain all these irritating guests." The dark haired beauty glances at the numerous immobile bodies scattered around the ballroom, still entranced by the entrance of Sasuke and Karin.

"Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I have to continue pretending to listen to these insufferable people." Hinata winces before she squares her shoulders, lifts her chin to a regal position, and marches into the mass of people like a martyr.

The three of us stare after her, still amazed that she actually hissed at us and that she thinks her husband's birthday party is infuriating. It's probably the pregnancy hormones.

* * *

After Hinata left us to go socialize with Naruto's party guests, Tenten and Ino immediately made up. Tenten apologized to Ino and revoked her previous comment.

"I actually think Shikamaru's the most trustworthy of the four men." I'm guessing Tenten's referring to Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru.

Ino shakes her head.

"In all honesty, I doubt Shikamaru's fidelity almost every day." My lips part from Ino's revelation. She thinks her lazy, insanely intelligent fiancé is a cheater?

"Why do you doubt him Ino? It's obvious that he genuinely loves you."

"I know. It's just I sort of have a problem with completely trusting insanely good-looking men. I feel like they're too beautiful for their own good, and they're easily susceptible to the inevitable advances of less honorable women." Ino reinforces her point by sending a scathing glance in Karin's direction. I chuckle at how jealous Ino and I are of the redhead nibbling on a strawberry across the ballroom.

Jeez, she even makes eating a strawberry look hot.

"Ino," Tenten sighs.

"Shikamaru is not that kind of man. He's faithful, and loyal, and there's no way he'd ever sleep with another woman or do anything remotely sexual for that matter." Ino's eyes begin to glisten with unshed tears and I know Tenten's words are getting through to her.

"Ino, his eyes are only set on you. He's madly in love with you, so relax and just let go of all your insecurities." I add to reinforce Tenten's words.

My comment is Ino's undoing and the dam breaks, releasing a narrow trail of tears. Suddenly, she wraps her arms around mine and Tenten's necks and pulls us in close for a bone-crushing embrace. It's surprising how strong she is.

"Ino, I-can't-breathe," Tenten splutters attempting to gently push Ino away so as not to hurt her feelings again.

"I'm sorry guys," Ino stutters and sniffs. I open my clutch, pull out a packet of tissues, and hand them over to Ino who takes them with a grateful smile.

"I'm so glad you guys are my friends. We're going to be best friends for life." Ino proceeds to encase Tenten and me in another hug, but this time it's a breathable, comfortable grip.

"Ino, you just met me." I remind the beautiful blonde.

"I don't care Pinky. We're still going to be best friends. It's going to be you, me, Meatballs, and Hinata. We're going to go shopping all the time and have movie nights and travel and—"

"Okay Ino, we get it. The four of us are going to be best friends for all eternity." Tenten rolls her eyes which cause me to giggle.

"Look at me. I'm being so selfish. We're supposed to be discussing you and the bastard Pinky, not my relationship with lazy ass over there." She points over her shoulder at Shikamaru who's knocked out on a chaise hidden behind one of the ballroom's large stone pillars.

"It's okay Ino I'm—"

"No, it's not okay. We're going to fuck with the bastard and make him wish he never brought Karin in here." I look into Ino's eyes and shiver when I see malice swirling in their baby blue depths. Jeez, she really despises Sasuke.

When I glance at Tenten, she's wearing the exact same expression as Ino. Wicked gleam in her chocolate brown eyes, malicious smirk, body language that assumes potential violence…

I feel like I should do something to divert their attention away from hurting Sasuke, but a voice inside me firmly commands me to stop. My mouth shuts closed and I think about the voice inside my head. Hmm, it would be a good opportunity to give Sasuke payback…

The gears inside Ino's and Tenten's brains are spinning madly, and I emit a sigh knowing I couldn't stop them if I tried.

"So, what are we going to do?" Ino and Tenten exchange dark, sadistic looks and I fight hard to suppress the urge to protect Sasuke.

* * *

Ino and Tenten's version of getting revenge on Sasuke involves me dancing with another man to make Sasuke jealous. Initially, I scoffed at the idea, commenting on how that idea would only work if Sasuke had feelings for me, but the two deviants wouldn't have any of it and dragged me along with them.

The whole time we were walking around the ballroom, Ino had this secretive look on her face. It was dark and mischievous.

"Ino, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason except that I think you'll love the man Meatballs and I are going to introduce to you. He's gorgeous in a rugged sort of way and super sexy." Ino winks at me and continues to drag me along by the wrist.

Oh God, what have I gotten myself into? It doesn't help that Tenten fully supports whatever diabolical plan Ino has up her sleeve.

I feel eyes boring into me and I turn my head every which way, trying to pinpoint the annoying observer. When I look in the direction of the food tables, my eyes gravitate towards a pair of onyx ones and remain there locked in place. The breath rushes out of me when I realize they belong to Sasuke. He's sipping on a glass of white wine while watching me. I don't have to test my observation because as the two women in front of me continue to pull me along, his fathomless eyes loyally follow. Beside him, Karin's mouth is moving animatedly, but her words fall on deaf ears. At least I hope they are…

I'm so captivated by Sasuke's stare that I don't realize Ino and Tenten have stopped walking and I run into their backs. Both of them turn around to look at me with a raised brow and heat rises to my cheeks from my inattentiveness. They slowly let their gaze travel over the entire ballroom and stop on a certain man leaning casually against a stone pillar.

"Ugh, it's Sasuke," Ino mumbles disinterestedly.

"Forget about him Sakura and say hello to this guy!" I barely have time to prepare myself before Ino grabs my forearm and launches me in front of her.

I lose my balance and before I know it I'm tumbling forward. I close my eyes and wait for the impact of my face hitting the floor, but it never comes. When I open my eyes again, my palms and face are flat against something hard, but it's not the floor, and strong arms are wrapped around my waist. I inhale deeply and almost moan out load when the scent of man and musk invades my nostrils. Slowly, without taking my hands off the hard planes of this mystery man's chest, I bring my eyes up to meet warm dark brown eyes.

"Are you okay?" His voice is a gruff baritone and very sexy.

"Um, I—" The words die in my throat because when I step back my lips part and I'm staring at one of the sexiest men I've ever seen apart from Sasuke. Behind me, I hear Ino and Tenten snickering into their hands.

He has messy, spiky brown hair that slightly falls across his forehead in that irresistible, makes you want to run your hands through his hair kind of way. He has a strong jaw, a straight nose, and a physique that any man would kill to have. Stubble covers his chin and along his jaw. God he's sexy.

"Thank you," is all I manage to mumble and I bow my head, feeling embarrassed that I have nothing else to say.

A big, warm hand gently grips my chin and coaxes me to look up until I'm engulfed by warm chocolate orbs.

"No thank you for falling into me. If you hadn't, I would never have gotten the chance to meet you." The man smiles at me with a perfect set of pearly whites and my knees instantly go weak.

I grip onto his arms for support and feel heat pool in the pit of my stomach when I feel the hardness and definition of his biceps. Dear God, the man has arms like rocks. The only other man I've felt with arms as hard as these is Sasuke.

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka, President of Inuzuka Corporations." His smile slants sexily to the side and the words jumble in my mouth.

"I'm Sakura Haruno, intern at Konoha Grace Hospital and secretary to Sasuke Uchiha." Thankfully, I'm able to smoothly introduce myself, but a slight frown mars the area between Kiba's eyebrows. Uh-oh, don't tell me he's a hater of Sasuke too. The frown leaves Kiba's expression faster than it appears.

"And we're going to leave you two alone." Ino and Tenten walk past us snickering, but not before Ino whispers something provocative into my ear.

"Don't forget to use protection Pinky." Heat floods my cheeks and I wonder how I'm going to survive the night with this gorgeous man.

The orchestra switches to a slower paced song perfect for dancing, and Kiba doesn't hesitate to offer his hand.

"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me Miss Haruno?" He smiles sexily at me and I'm putty at his hands. Dear Lord, since when did I become so susceptible to the advances of men? Oh that's right, ever since a plethora of gorgeous hunks started appearing in my life.

I am one lucky woman.

I smile shyly at Kiba and take his outstretched hand, and his eyes instantly light up with joy. His skin is rough but otherwise warm. It feels wonderful encased around my smaller one. With fluid grace I didn't think he possessed, he pulls me into his strong arms. One arm wraps around my waist and pulls me close to his body while his other hand continues to grip onto mine.

Nervous butterflies erupt within my body because I'm not an experienced dancer, and I'm afraid I might step on Kiba's feet. They go away as the song progresses and I learn that Kiba is an excellent dancer which takes me by surprise. It must show on my face because his eyes alight with mirth.

He leans in close and whispers into the shell of my ear. His hot breath fans across the side of my neck and I can't suppress the shiver that runs through my body.

"Surprised Miss Haruno?"

"Honestly, yes. You didn't strike me as the type of man who knew how to dance and use charming words. You look too rugged for that." As I confess what I think, I bow my head low not wanting Kiba to see the heat blooming on my cheeks, but he lifts my face up with the hand that was previously wrapped around my waist.

We've stopped dancing. His hand that was gripping onto mine is now resting on the curve of my hips and inches its way towards the small of my back where he pulls me flush against his body.

"You're beautiful you know that?" His chocolate brown eyes darken, and the intensity of the emotion swirling beneath them disarms me.

I try to diffuse the growing tension by returning his compliment, "You're quite handsome yourself."

It produces the opposite effect. He leans in closer and whispers something into my ear that sets off warning alarms in my head, "Jesus, I want you so bad."

To justify his statement, he pulls me even closer and it's then that I feel the bulge of his pants against my pelvis. I gasp, heat instantly flooding my face.

Suddenly, all my senses heighten and I'm aware of everything. I see the eyes of several couples nearby watching us intently. I hear the harmonious notes of the orchestra playing beautifully on the stage. Kiba's delicious scent invades my nostrils and causes my stomach muscles to clench deliciously. The rock hard pectorals beneath my hands flex and make my knees go weak. Kiba's neck is a mere half an inch from my face and I boldly flick my tongue against his skin to taste him. My hormones go on haywire when my taste buds register how amazingly good he tastes.

I want him and I want him now.

Kiba pulls away slightly so our faces are several inches apart and we just gaze into each other's eyes. Slowly, our faces inch closer until our noses are almost touching. I notice how his eyes flick from my eyes to my lips and back to my eyes again before he continues the process. When our lips are a hair's breadth apart, I jerk away remembering the people around us, but Kiba doesn't let me go.

He looks confused, asking me with his eyes why I stopped. Jeez, did he forget about the other guests present in this public ballroom? Apparently he did because he starts to dip his head again, but I stop him by pushing gently against his chest. He backs up slightly and looks at me with annoyed eyes.

Over Kiba's broad shoulder, I catch sight of Sasuke now fully standing and bristling with barely repressed rage. The look in his eyes is dark, feral, and his grip on the wine glass is knuckle-white. I'm afraid it'll shatter in his hand and give him cuts. But something about the look in his eyes bothers me, and I almost choke when I realize that it's betrayal. Sasuke feels betrayed? Why?

An overwhelming wave of guilt washes over me and I remove my hands from Kiba's chest and push away from him. He let's go of me as if I've burned him and another wave of guilt washes over me.

Dammit! This night is going all wrong. There's no way it can get worse, but of course I'm wrong. The hum of whispers crescendos and turns into an all-out buzz as everyone in the ballroom talks about my recent actions. Great, now I'm going to be the juicy gossip of the elite community.

I rub my temples as a sigh escapes past my lips. Ino's and Tenten's plan to extract revenge failed. Not only did it hurt Kiba and possibly even Sasuke, it made me look like a bitch. Ugh, I think it's time I go.

"Sorry Kiba, but I have to go. Thanks for the dance. You were wonderful," I mumble and I steel my heart against the hurt in Kiba's eyes.

I scan the crowd for a head of blond hair and find it near the food tables. I take several steps towards Naruto and pause, my shoulders tensing, when I realize that he's standing next to Sasuke. I inhale deep, calming breaths and square my shoulders. I'm going to head over there, say goodbye to the birthday boy, and leave with the little shreds of dignity I have left. With a controlled pace, I walk over to where Naruto and Sasuke are standing and stop directly in front of the blond man.

"Hey Naruto, it's getting late and I have to be at the hospital early tomorrow morning, so I'm going to head out now." I plead to Naruto with my eyes to let me go.

"Thanks for coming Sakura. Do I at least get a happy birthday-goodbye hug before you leave me alone with all these annoying people?" Naruto's comment elicits a genuine giggle and a small smile from me, and I walk into his outstretched arms.

"Happy birthday Naruto, I hope the rest of your evening is wonderful." I whisper into the blonde's ear.

"Thanks Sakura. Promise me though that you'll come to dinner with Hinata and me sometime this week?" He whispers back. I pull away.

"I don't know Naruto. I'll have to check with my schedule for availability, but I'll try my best!" I offer him the best smile I can muster. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a petite form approaching us and I turn to greet Hinata.

"You're leaving already Sakura? The party's not over yet." Hinata looks genuinely disappointed and another wave of guilt pulses through my body. Dammit, that's the third time I've disappointed someone in five minutes. I internally groan at my inconsiderateness.

"I'm sorry Hinata, but I have to work at the hospital early tomorrow morning. Don't worry though because Naruto invited me to dinner with the two of you sometime this week if that's okay with you." Hinata's expression brightens and I feel relief that I can salvage her mood.

"Of course Sakura! I'll make reservations tomorrow at this great Japanese restaurant. I'm sure you'll love it." She smiles gently at me and we embrace.

When we let go, a slim finger taps impatiently on my shoulder and I turn around, coming face to face with an annoyed looking blonde and a distraught brunette.

"Where do you think you're going Pinky?"

"Home, I have to—"

"Like hell you are! The night's not even over!" Ino's baby blue eyes narrow into slits.

"Ino, she has to wake up early tomorrow morning, let her go. We can hang out with her another time." Tenten quips peaceably. I cross my fingers hoping Ino will surrender and thank God when she huffs and then sighs.

"Fine, but give me your number Pinky so I can call you and bust your eardrum." She smirks at me and hands me her cell phone. I hand over mine and we each input our numbers.

Tenten and I don't exchange numbers because we already did a few days after we first met. I knew I wanted to build a relationship with the brunette, so I gave her my number and she gave me hers.

Once my cell phone is tucked securely in my clutch, I give everyone a final wave, purposely ignoring Sasuke, and head out the ballroom's grand double-doors which are held open by Naruto's and Hinata's butler. On the way out, he gives me a gentle smile and whispers to me, wishing my safe arrival home and my immediate return to the mansion. He offers to walk me to the front door but I decline his offer by pointing out the inconvenience on his part. I proceed to walk through the doors, unaware of the ruby red eyes following my form as I exited the ballroom.

* * *

I'm opening my car door when a slightly tanned hand shoots out of nowhere and slams it shut. I yelp out of surprise more than fear and turn around in my spot to stare directly into blazing onyx eyes. It's Sasuke and he looks ready to maul something, probably me.

He cages me in and prevents me from stepping away by forcing me to step back against the door of my car and placing his other arm on the other side of my head. Ugh, and I thought this night couldn't get any worse.

"Don't I get a fucking goodbye?" He explodes and I wince from the ferocity of his question.

"Sasuke I—"

"Why did you fucking walk away without even saying a single word to me? Don't I matter to you?" I open my mouth to respond but he doesn't let me.

"And why were you dancing with fucking Inuzuka?" His question catches me off guard and I'm dazed for several seconds, but when I return to I'm as heated as he is.

"It's none of your concern who I dance with." I hiss at him.

"Like hell it isn't! I don't want you talking to him ever again and to any other man for that matter." He yells back angrily which fuels my rage. How dare he order me to not associate with other men when he strolls into the ballroom with a drop-dead gorgeous, model-worthy woman hanging off his arm!

"Stop being such a hypocrite Sasuke! You walked into the ballroom with Karin or whatever her name is." Sasuke's eyes widen fractionally before they narrow.

"I don't care about her." What the hell kind of answer is that?

"Liar. You escorted her into the ballroom looking like you just won the million-dollar lottery." I accuse with a sneer. If he truly didn't care about that woman, he would have walked into the ballroom looking more revolted than pleased.

"I had to look that way. I had no choice." He hisses at me. His answer confuses me.

What does he mean he had no choice? Everyone has choices.

"Of course you had a—"

"Shut up. You don't know anything about my relationship with Karin, so don't accuse me like you do." He snarls at me and I reel back further against my car, stung by his words. If he doesn't care, then why is he defending his relationship with her?

I don't care if he's uncharacteristically jealous or if he's hurt or betrayed. We don't even have a romantic relationship. I just want to get in my car, drive home, and cry into my pillow. A few tears are already threatening to fall, and I refuse to let Sasuke be the cause of them.

"Step away from my car now." I order him, but my words come out choked and broken.

"No." His answer makes my eyebrows go up and I have the sudden urge to laugh so I do.

"What's so funny? There's nothing funny." When I stop laughing, frustration has joined the mass of swirling emotions. Good, let him be frustrated, the bastard.

"What's so funny? You prevent me from leaving and we're standing here arguing like we're a couple or something which we're clearly not,"

"You're telling me to back off of Kiba, who is very gentlemanly and sweet mind you, yet you waltz into the ballroom with Karin looking like you two were made for each other," he bows his head.

"You're selfish, a hypocrite, and an asshole, and this situation is funny because I'm letting you be all those things to me when you clearly don't deserve to,"

"So yes, this situation is funny and I officially hate you. Now would you please—"

"Stop," Sasuke whispers and I have to think about what he said for a few seconds before I realize he just told me to stop.

"Wonderful, now you're impairing my speech. You really are an—"

"Please," he pleads and I sharply inhale a breath when he looks back up at me.

The emotions in his eyes are so intense, so raw, they steal my words and my voice and they pull at my heart strings. He looks so angry, jealous, conflicted, but the emotion that outshines the rest is hurt. He looks tremendously hurt, as if my words are really affecting him. All the righteous fury I was feeling leaves my body in a rush and my heart suddenly aches for Sasuke. He looks so broken.

Tentatively, I reach out and gently cup one side of his face with my hand.

"Sasuke?" I say his name carefully, as if saying it the wrong way might set him off.

He just stares at me, the emotions in his onyx eyes never fading. His hands slide down the side of my car and rests on my hips. I tense under his touch but otherwise don't pull away.

"Take it back." He whispers.

"Take what back?" I stare at him confused. That I called him selfish? A hypocrite? An asshole?

"Take it back." He whispers again.

"Sasuke, what are you—"

"That you hate me. Take it back." My eyebrows furrow as I try to digest what he's requesting of me. He wants me to take back that I hate him? I think back to what I said barely two minutes ago and mentally smack my forehead when I realize the words I spoke. Oh Sasuke, is that why you look so hurt?

"Sasuke, I don't hate you. I just said that because I was so mad. I'm still mad mind you, but you're really being mean right now." I mumble the last part and stare at the ground. Sasuke grasps my chin with his hand, God that's becoming so redundant, and gently lifts my face up to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry." His words take me by surprise and my brain doesn't fully register that he said them.

"What did you say?"

"I'm sorry Sakura." I search his eyes, trying to determine if his apology is real or not and am satisfied when I see that it is.

"It's fine," I sigh.

"Look, Sasuke, it's been a long night and I really have to go. Can we continue this the next time we see each other?" At first, Sasuke just stares at me. Then, he does something which takes me completely off guard. He pulls me flush against his body and rests his forehead on mine.

"Do you care about me?" He asks.

"Do I care about you? Of course I care about you. You're my boss and—"

"Not like that." His statement confuses me.

"Well, yeah." I respond uncertainly.

"Do you like me?"

"Sasuke, what kind of—"

"Just answer it." I intentionally don't answer for a few seconds, trying to find Sasuke's motive for these random questions. When I'm unresponsive for a few seconds, Sasuke growls and pulls me closer against his body.

"Sakura, do you like me?"

I sigh.

"Sasuke, I really don't know what you mean by that."

"Do you have feelings for me?" His eyes look longing.

"What kind of feelings?" I have a sneaking suspicion that I know what he's talking about. Actually, I'm pretty certain I know what he's talking about, but I'm too scared to admit it because it might solidify how I truly feel and it might lead to potentially dangerous places.

"These kinds of feelings," and he smashes his lips against mine. At first, the kiss is gentle, coaxing, and I'm unresponsive. As the seconds tick by, our lips both grow hungrier and we're kissing like there's no tomorrow.

Sasuke licks my bottom lip and I grant him permission. One of his hands lets go of my waist and latches onto my hair, pulling it back to tilt my head up and give him better access. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my hands through his hair. I subconsciously register that the thick strands are silky smooth and super soft. I pull on the small hairs at the nape of his neck which earns me a groan from Sasuke. After several more seconds of intense kissing, we both pull away for air, but Sasuke keeps his forehead planted on mine. We're both breathing hard.

"Don't tell me you don't have feelings for me after that," he growls. I stare deep into his eyes while absently playing with his hair.

What if I say yes and I end up getting hurt? What if you say no and you miss your opportunity my conscience whispers. I weigh the two options and decide that having experienced something is better than living with nothing.

I pull Sasuke's head back down to meet my lips and give him a gentle, caressing kiss.

"Yes, I have feelings for you." I tell him gently. I feel a weight being lifted off my shoulders and I realize it's because I've accepted how I feel about Sasuke. The question is does he feel the same way?

"Good, because I have very strong feelings for you and I refuse to give you up to another man." The fierce honesty in Sasuke's eyes coupled with his possessiveness effectively dissipates the remaining anger inside me and I reach up to cup his face.

"Fine, but you're going to have to prove those feelings of yours for me because I know about your infamous reputation Mr. Uchiha." I tease him playfully. He just grunts and attacks my neck.

"And you're going to start by telling me about you and Karin the next time we see each other." He pauses in his assault on my neck, but instantly resumes after he agrees. Another weight is lifted off my shoulders and I feel much lighter.

"So does this mean we're together?" I ask shyly and heat rises to my cheeks. Sasuke reverses his downward trail of kisses and moves north to nibble and suck on my earlobe which makes me shiver.

"It means, you and I are no longer on the market and you are mine." He whispers possessively into my ear and my stomach muscles clench.

"Which means you're mine too," I quip enthusiastically and I feel Sasuke smirk approvingly against my neck as he continues his assault, but I push him away.

"Sasuke stop, you might give me a hickey." He looks amused.

"Good, it'll keep other men from touching what's mine." His possessiveness makes me feel warm inside and I show it outwardly by smiling at him.

He leans his forehead against mine and stares at me for a couple of seconds.

"Come home with me tonight?" My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"What?"

"Come home with me." He's serious.

"Sasuke, I don't know. I don't even have my own apartment yet."

"So, come home with me." I stare into Sasuke's eyes and see the hope shining in them. He must really want me to go home with him.

I deliberate my choices for several seconds even though I already know in my heart what my answer is going to be.

"Fine, but I'm going to have to leave early in the morning since I don't have any extra clothes with me." Sasuke's eyes light up with so much happiness I giggle. Then he does something so uncharacteristic it takes my breath away.

He smiles. A genuine, full-out, smile complete with the top and bottom rows of teeth.

"Wow, you have the most beautiful smile," and Sasuke has dimples!

Together, the two of us drive our cars to Sasuke's loft in the city, him in his cobalt blue Maserati GTS and me in my economy-class Chevy Volt.

* * *

The following morning, I wake up with multiple love bites on my neck, soreness between my thighs, and a peaceful looking Sasuke sleeping with his face deep in the crook of my neck. As I stroke his soft, inky tresses, a feeling of contentment fills me up and I'm suddenly thankful for last night's events. It's like they were leading up to this milestone.

Sasuke stirs beneath my fingertips and I'm greeted with the sight of beautiful, sleep-laden black irises. However, the sleep leaves them as he starts to trail kisses down my neck, across my collarbone, and latches onto a bare nipple.

"Good morning to you too," I say breathily. Morning sex is definitely one of the best kinds of sex.

* * *

**Woo, and there goes Chapter 8! I bet you guys were begging for a lemon.**

**Well, this chapter might be it for the next week or so, but it'll largely depend on my mood and availability. Alors, au revoir mes amis!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi everyone! I just want to say thanks for the continued support. My first semester of college has been tough, but I'm surviving! I hope this chapter suffices for the moment. Things will get a little more interesting from here. **

**Rated M for adult themes. Readers under 18, read at your own discretion.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"We've got a heartbeat!"

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding and relax my tense shoulders. I roll my neck in a counter-clockwise motion to relieve the accumulated stiffness. Slowly, deeply, I inhale and exhale to calm my frazzled nerves.

"Good job Haruno." I look up into the aged eyes of my boss and hero, and for once I see warmth shining in their amber depths, warming my heart.

"Now, finish up the rest of this aortic dissection and go home, relax. It's a slow day today so we don't need as many hands." I nod at Tsunade and continue on with my procedure.

Today, I save the life of a woman with aortic dissection, and I feel thrilled.

As I'm cleaning up, rinsing my arms of invisible blood, I reflect on my medical performance for the past two months. I've performed a few pediatric surgeries with zero mortality, and I've performed quite a few cardio surgeries with several mortalities. I have yet to perform any neurological surgeries, but I'm in no rush. Frankly speaking, brain surgeries terrify me. Any sudden movements, and the patient could be physically or mentally disabled for the rest of their lives, and I have no desire to be the reason why a man or woman can't hold their grandchildren. I know that I'll have to perform brain surgeries someday if I want to be a skilled neurosurgeon, but I'm willing to wait later rather than sooner.

Despite my success in pediatrics and increasing success in cardio, I'm still occasionally haunted by the first cardio patient I ever killed. It sounds harsh to say kill, but if a surgeon fails to save a life, I consider it murder in my book.

I'll never forget the monotonous sound of the heart monitor as the once zigzagging line representing the patient's heartbeat plateaued. I'll never forget the vomit-inducing stench of death as it oozed from the dead patient's pores. My dreams will never be free of the man's cold, lifeless eyes, the light gone from them forever, as he lay there unmoving on the harsh steel bed.

It's like he's accusing me of his untimely death even though I know it isn't my fault in the first place. A voice in my mind whispers to me, telling me it is my fault and that I am indeed the reason why he will never see his wife, his kids, and his grandchildren if he ever has any. It afflicts my conscience, my heart, driving me to become stronger, better, wiser.

I turn off the faucet and just stare at my arms, watching the droplets of water as they infinitesimally hang onto my skin before detaching and plundering to the steel sink and breaking into smaller droplets of water. I'm entranced. Slowly, I bring my gaze up to stare at my reflection in the glass windows. I look morbid, tired, spent. I wonder if I'll always look this way in the hospital. Eyes dead, skin pale, body slightly quivering…

No, I tell myself, I won't always look this way. One day, my hide will be completely toughened up and I'll be like Tsunade. Eyes not dead but cold, skin not pale but taut with stress, body not quivering but tensed with adrenaline…

Ugh, I always become so moody when memories of that man successfully invade my mind. I grab a few paper towels from the dispenser and dry my arms. Before I step out of the scrubbing room, I pinch my cheeks and slap them several times to add life to their pale pallor.

"Ah, Dr. Haruno, there's a man waiting for you in the main lobby. His name is Sasuke Uchiha." An elderly nurse calls out to me from behind her work station. A few young female nurses' heads look up at the mention of his name and I roll my eyes. Jeez, why don't you guys look up when I enter into the room?

Ugh, women…

I smile at the nurse and thank her kindly before heading to the elevators at the end of the hall. I call the elevator and start whistling a tune from One Thing by a British boy band called One Direction.

"Ugh, please, I've had enough with that song. All the damn women in this hospital won't stop whistling it, or humming it, or worse, singing it." A deep voice grunts behind me.

I look over my shoulder so I can identify the owner of the voice, and I find a very tall, orange-haired man with a leanly built frame and kind red-orange eyes. Huh, a gentle giant. He's wearing navy scrubs so he must be an attending, but he looks so young my mind instantly considers the possibility that I'm color blind. I've never seen him before.

"Sorry," I smile sheepishly.

"I heard it this morning on the radio and it's been stuck in my head the whole day. It's pretty catchy."

"I know." He responds gruffly but gently.

"I liked it too until I've been hearing it in my OR every surgery, every day, for the past two weeks." The look on his face looks irritated and I wince. Jeez, every single surgery for the past two weeks?

"Ouch, that's harsh, um," I look at the left side of his white lab coat but the collar covers up most of the stitching so I can't accurately read his name.

"Jugo. Just call me Jugo." He smiles and offers his hand which I gladly shake. His grip is firm yet gentle, as if squeezing any harder would break my hand. He seems really sweet.

"I'm Sakura Haruno, but you can just call me Sakura." If he wants me to call him by his first name, then I should return the courtesy.

"So, Sakura, which department are you from?" His inquiry makes me smile. He's going to get a kick out of my answer.

"Departments," I correct him proudly which raises his orange eyebrows.

"Departments?" He looks surprised which raises my pride level up a notch.

"Yes sir! Pediatrics, cardio, and neurological." His eyes widen and his lips slightly part.

"Wow," he breathes.

"That's, um, quite something. It'll truly be a spectacular feat if you manage to become an attending for all three."

"Yeah. So, which department are you from?"

Thinking logically, his gentle nature would rule out the cruelest of the several sub-specialties of surgery which includes neurological, orthopedic, and cardiothoracic. He could be in general surgery since that doesn't require much, but I could be wrong. People are surprising.

"I'm in plastics and anesthesiology." He declares proudly.

I'm a little surprised. Plastic surgery and the delivery of anesthesia never crossed my mind. I guess it does suit him. Neither of the sub-specialties is mentally or emotionally taxing. In fact, I consider those two-subspecialties to be the laziest of the medical practices.

"You don't look like you'd be in—"

"Plastics and anesthesiology? Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm not too fond of the other sub-specialties. They seem too," his brows knit together.

"Harsh." His face relaxes and he smiles.

"No wonder I see tons of beautiful women with fabulous nose and boob jobs leaving this place. They're all being treated by Jugo's skilled hands." I wink at him for added effect and am rewarded with a bashful smile and a rosy blush.

The ding of the elevator signals its arrival and I step inside. Jugo steps inside with me.

"Floor?" I position my index finger next to the number pad, ready to punch in whatever floor he needs to be on.

"Ground level please. The hospital's not busy today so I've decided to go home and spend time with my dog." He smiles sheepishly at me and I laugh.

"Looks like we're both going to GL then!" I punch the round white button with a bold "GL" written on it, and continue chatting to Jugo on our way down.

* * *

I learn a few interesting tidbits about Jugo as we descend to ground level. He's the oldest of three children, two boys and a girl, but his other two siblings died in a freak house-fire accident along with their parents. He was eight then. He's twenty-eight now, making the accident twenty years old. His flame-colored eyes became cold and distant when he was retelling his story, and tears pooled at the corners of mine. I apologized for his misfortune but he brushed it off with a wave of his hand and a smile.

The house-fire and death of his entire family influenced him to pursue a career in the medical field, particularly as a plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist. He described the physical appearances of his family after their bodies were discovered in the ashes of the house. Patches of skin were melted off, revealing the muscle underneath and, in severely damaged areas, the bone. Their family wasn't financially well-off, so Jugo had no other option except to bury them that away. The ceremony was closed-casket.

"What influenced you to become an anesthesiologist?"

"The whole time I was standing outside watching the house being ravaged by fire," his face pales and his eyes take on a ghosted appearance.

"I could hear the screams of my parents and little brother and sister. It was," a violent shudder wracks his large frame, "horrible."

I place my hand on his shoulder and give him a gentle squeeze.

"I chose to become an anesthesiologist because I don't want people to feel the pain of surgery. I don't want to hear them scream." Jugo looks anguished and I instantly avert the subject of conversation.

"So, I remember you saying you're going home to play with your dog. What kind of dog do you have and what's his name?" I say kindly and I feel Jugo relax under my hand. I let go and place my hands in the pockets of my lab coat.

"She's a Great Dane and her name is Molly." He smiles fondly.

"What's she like?" I propel the conversation about his dog forward, afraid if it ends he'll revert back to his previous depressed condition.

"She's very sweet and loving. She loves to drink milk, run, play tackle with me, and she loves to play with other animals."

"She sounds like an amazing dog."

"She is."

I open my mouth to ask more questions, but the ding of the elevator interrupts me. I step outside and Jugo follows me. I turn to the giant man behind me and offer him my hand which he warmly shakes.

"Well, it was nice talking to you Jugo. Maybe we can eat lunch together sometime in the cafeteria?" I really wouldn't mind befriending the man. He's a sweetheart.

"Sure! How about tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan." I smile at him and he returns it before letting go and walking towards the hospital's main entrance.

"Who was that?" I swivel on my feet and come face to face with a frowning Sasuke.

He's dressed in a black slim-fitted suit and dark blue slim tie. The dark colors offset his flawless light skin and complement his messy ebony hair and abysmal onyx eyes. Morning stubble covers his lower jaw and chin, and black studs dot his earlobes. He looks out-of-this world sexy and he's all mine. He steps closer to me and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. I place my hands on his stomach, enjoying the feel of his sculpted abs beneath the fabric of his shirt, and slowly glide them up his torso until their latched around his neck. Sasuke exhales a hiss and his inky eyes darken with growing lust.

He immediately swoops down to latch onto my neck and starts kissing and sucking. I inhale sharply and tug on the hairs at the nape of his neck which earns me a groan.

"Sasuke, not here. People are watching." Almost every pair of eyes in the hospital's main lobby is zeroed in on Sasuke and I, and they're watching with barely restrained interest. I think they're hoping Sasuke and I will rip each other's clothes off and start having hot, wild sex on the granite floor. Thank God there aren't any children around.

Sasuke just grunts and continues his assault on my neck.

"Sasuke, I still have hickey marks from last night and this morning. Don't give me more!" I hiss at him, mostly because he just bit down on a particularly sensitive spot on my neck, sucked on it, and blew on it.

His hands go around to the front of my waist and duck underneath my lab coat to once again wrap around my waist. He inserts them underneath my scrubs and, with a feather-light touch that causes all my nerve endings to explode with sensation, trails his fingertips up my spine and back down again, repeating the process over and over so that I start to writhe in his arms. The combined effect of his expert hands on the skin of my back and his hot lips on my neck has me teetering on the edge of control. If he keeps this up, we really will give these people a show and have animalistic sex on the granite floor.

When a moan involuntarily escapes past my lips, I yank with enough pressure on Sasuke's hair to pluck his lips from my neck and pull his head back so I can look into his eyes. His onyx eyes are blazing which effectively serve to silence the speech in my mouth and tighten the muscles in my stomach.

"Sasuke—"

"You didn't answer my question. Who was that man?" His voice is dark and low, interlaced with a dose of danger and warning that commands obedience. I have inkling that he's jealous and I use it to my advantage. Sasuke isn't the only one who's skilled at driving people insane.

"A colleague," I answer vaguely which makes Sasuke grit his teeth. He is definitely jealous.

"I can see that, but what are his name, occupation, and relationship to you?" I raise my eyebrow at Sasuke.

"Why do you want to know so badly Sasuke?" I don't want to give him the information he wants in case he decides to try something against Jugo. The man is incredibly sweet and it'd be wrong to harm him in any way.

"It doesn't matter if you don't tell me Sakura. I can easily obtain his information another way." I roll my eyes but he does make a good point. Curse his powerful status and overwhelming wealth.

"Fine. If you must know," I intentionally stare at him for several long seconds to further aggravate him.

"His name is Jugo. He's a plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist here at Konoha Grace, and he's my on-call room buddy." I give my power-abusive boyfriend a wicked smile. He's not ignorant and he instantly pieces together the purpose of an on-call room and my mischievous expression, which makes the muscle in his jaw twitch sexily.

He didn't say I had to play nice. His eyes grow darker and his grip on my waist grows tighter. He looks furious. Oh shit, did I overstep the boundary?

"And what exactly, do you two accomplish in the on-call room?" He questions dangerously. A pleasurable shiver runs down my spine from the rumble of his deep voice.

He's smirking darkly now and his eyes are a blazing furnace of black fire. I squirm in his grasp from the intensity of his look. I want to keep toying with him but I'm afraid he'll respond rashly.

"We, um, play board games?" I say uncertainly and I want to smack myself on the forehead for sounding so pathetic. Smooth answer Sakura Haruno. My answer is Sasuke's undoing and he lets go of my waist only to latch onto my hand and pull me along with him as he heads for the elevator.

"Sasuke, why are we going to the elevator?" He doesn't respond and proceeds to call the elevator to go up.

The metal doors instantly open because it never ascended when Jugo and I exited, and Sasuke pulls me inside with him.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you—"

Sasuke interrupts me by pushing me against the wall of the elevator and smashing his lips against mine. The kiss is rough, needy. I try to push away but he's too strong. He licks and nibbles on my bottom lip, causing me to moan and involuntarily open my mouth wider, and seizes the opportunity to insert his tongue. He tastes of clean mint. It's addicting.

The ding of the elevator resounds in the small space and Sasuke swiftly pulls away. I'm dazed as he pulls me out of the elevator and down the hallway. After about a minute of fast-walking, we enter a room furnished with a single bunk bed and a desk with a lamp. It takes me a second to register that we're in an on-call room. I hear a soft click behind me and I whirl on my spot to face Sasuke, all my playfulness gone and replaced with a growing suspicion of what he plans to do. I take a step back and he takes a step forward.

"Sasuke," I start uneasily.

"Why are we in an on-call room?" He smirks wickedly at me and we continue our tango, me moving away as the cornered animal and him moving forward as the predator.

"Sasuke?"

The back of my knees hits the edge of the bottom bunk and I'm forced to fall back and sit down as Sasuke continues to move forward. He doesn't even stop when he's at the edge of the bed and forces me to retreat back further so that I'm lying flat on my back with my head on the pillow. How the hell did I end up from talking to Jugo to this ridiculous position? Oh that's right, I decided I'd play with the beast and now it's going to devour me.

Sasuke crawls up right between my legs and traps me inside his arms with one arm on either side of my head. My arms are flush against the sides of my body, my palms flat against the bed. Sasuke dips his head and gently, slowly trails his nose along my jaw and down my neck, and back up to my earlobe where he nibbles, sucks, and blows on it for several seconds. My body shivers of its own accord and I bite my lower lip to hold back a moan. I will not let Sasuke have the satisfaction of knowing he's making me feel pleasure from such a simple action.

"Tell me Sakura," his voice is deep and seductive, casting me under its spell.

"What do you do in this room again with that other man?" He flicks my earlobe with his tongue and elicits a gasp from me.

"W-We play board games." I stutter and I grit my teeth. What the hell is wrong with me? I've had sex with Sasuke multiple times and I've never acted like this. I think it's because I've never been cornered into having sex. It's erotic and strangely enticing.

"What kind of board games, Sakura?" He says my name slowly, tantalizingly and sends another shiver down my spine.

"Fun ones. You know," I think of a board game that has sexual connotations and come up blank. Shit.

"Connect Four?" Ugh, what the hell kind of answer is that. C'mon Haruno, get it together!

"And what exactly do you connect, hmm?" Oh God, Sasuke's toying with me. Fine, I'll toy with him back.

"Pieces that fit perfectly together." I emphasize the words "fit" and "perfectly" lasciviously and am rewarded when Sasuke's body goes rigid.

The gate of sin opens up in the following five seconds and our sounds of pleasure echo off the walls. God, I hope no one in the hallway passing by hears us. I'll never hear the end of it.

* * *

"So, tell me about you and Karin." I say then take a bite of my basil pesto pasta. I savor its flavor on my taste buds for several seconds before I let the noodle and sauce glide smoothly down my throat. It's delicious.

After our christening the on-call room, Sasuke took us to a diner a few blocks away. They serve everything from steaks, to pastas, and even burgers. I ordered pasta while Sasuke ordered steak with fries. The diner itself is small, but it more than makes up for what it lacks in seating capacity with mouth-watering delicacies. However, the thing that I'm starting to love most about this cozy, little restaurant is that it's a hole-in-the-wall. It's located in an area of the city that's not teeming with human presences which is perfectly fine with Sasuke and me.

Sasuke finishes chewing a piece of his steak before wiping his mouth and taking a sip of red wine. When he sets down his napkin, I can't help but feel a little nervous about what he's going to tell me.

"We used to be engaged." The fork that was on its way to my open mouth stops midway and remains suspended in midair for several seconds as my brain tries to register Sasuke's response.

They were engaged! Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in my head and I finally understand why Sasuke and Karin looked so perfect and relaxed when they entered the ballroom. They were engaged which means they would have some semblance of familiarity with each other. I frown. In my mind, couples that break off engagements end up bitter and resentful, yet Sasuke and Karin were so civil at Naruto's birthday party.

"Sakura," Sasuke's deep baritone interrupts my musings and I look up to find him staring at me with cautious eyes as if I'd throw a hissy fit and run out of the diner.

"What?"

"Say something."

But what do I say? Where do I start? What should I say? Sasuke stares at me expectantly and I drop my suspended hand. Suddenly, I'm not so hungry anymore and I resort to shuffling my pasta around my plate.

I guess it would be best to start with the basics.

"When were you guys engaged and why are you guys no longer engaged?" I look up from playing with my penne and find Sasuke staring emotionlessly at his red wine. It's unsettling.

"We were engaged last year and we would have gotten married if it wasn't for her father being ill." I feel like he slapped me in the face.

They were engaged a year ago? I only just met Sasuke a couple months ago which means their separation is still fresh. I'm confused by the latter part of his answer, but I no longer have the desire to be in Sasuke's presence. It feels like I'm suffocating and my heart is aching. I don't care about the rest of his story, and all I can think about is how fast I can escape.

I grab my hand purse and stand up. Sasuke looks alarmed and stands up as well.

"I have to go." I mutter lamely and proceed to pull out a twenty dollar bill from my hand purse and lay it on the table.

"That's my share." I lock up my hand purse and turn to leave but a large, warm hand locks around my wrist, halting my steps.

"Sakura wait," I hear him shuffling then a few seconds later he smacks something down on the table. It's probably his part of the bill.

I turn around to face him and stare him straight in the eyes.

"Let me go." I say firmly and try to tug my wrist out of his grasp but to no avail.

"Not until you tell me why you're leaving." I open my mouth to give him a sassy response but I realize I don't have a legitimate reason other than feeling outrageously jealous and hurt.

"It doesn't matter. Just let me go." I glare at him, trying to command him to let go with my eyes, but he fearlessly glares back.

"No."

"What the hell do you mean—"

"Fuck, Sakura, this is why I didn't want to tell you anything. Every time you hear or learn about something you don't like, you run away." His words ring true and they kill any retorts building up in my mouth.

I grit my teeth and stare at the ground. He's right. All the energy leaves my body and I slump forward to rest my cheek against Sasuke's chest. He releases my wrist and wraps his arms around my shoulders, enveloping me in his warmth and tantalizing scent. His comforting heat and delicious smell seep into my system and calm me down enough to think rationally. Looking at it from a calmer point of view, it's incredibly selfish of me to just up and run away when I'm the one asking for answers.

"Sorry," I mumble into his chest and I know he hears me when his embrace tightens.

When I feel fully composed I pull back and stare at a point over Sasuke's shoulder, but he gently grasps my chin and turns my face so that I'm looking into his eyes. They look hurt, confused, angry, and tired all at once. They're exact replicas of mine except their inky black instead of emerald.

"Why?" He asks softly and I sigh.

"I felt, no, I feel hurt, jealous, and used. You recently broke up with her and I feel insecure. I feel like I'm your rebound girl."

"You're not—"

I raise a finger to his lips and silence his speech.

"Sasuke, can you look into my eyes and honestly tell me that you're no longer in love with her?"

I stare straight into the dead center of his eyes and wait for his answer, but it doesn't come. In that instant, I know he still loves her and I feel like I was slapped twice. I gently remove Sasuke's arms from around my shoulders and step away. He grits his teeth.

"Sakura—"

"I can't." I feel moisture building behind my eyes and I know that I'm on the brink of breaking down.

"Sakura please—"

"No." I say coldly and Sasuke flinches.

"I can't be with knowing you still love Karin." Sasuke grits his teeth harder and reaches for me but I take a step back. He takes a step forward and I take a step back.

"Sasuke, if you touch me I'll declare rape and the owner of this diner will have no choice to but to aid me and call the police." Sasuke's eyes widen and he looks like I just slapped him. Good, he can feel how I feel right now.

It seems almost unreal that after such a wonderful night and an equally wonderful morning, things are going downhill again. Ugh, I need a break from dating, men, and love.

"Sasuke, it wouldn't be fair to you, Karin, and me if we continue this relationship. While you may have feelings for me, you still love Karin and I have absolutely no doubts she still loves you back."

"What are you saying Sakura?"

I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what I'm about to say even though I'm sure it'll still be painful.

"I'm saying we should just be friends. I want you and Karin to give each other another chance and if it works out, then don't forget to invite me to your guys' wedding." I smile bitterly at Sasuke and his hands fist at his sides.

"And if it doesn't, then I'll be waiting for you if you're still willing to give me another chance." The dam is close to breaking but I refuse to shed any tears for this cruel situation. It's undeserving of any tears.

Sasuke remains stoic and seething so I take his unresponsiveness as my cue to leave.

"Goodbye Sasuke, see you at work."

As I exit the building I glance one last time through the glass windows of the diner and see a new side of Sasuke: defeat.

* * *

**A/N: Voila, la chapitre neuf! J'espere que vous avez aime cette chapitre. Si vous l'avez aime, ecrivez un reponse si vous plait parce que vos reponses sont bien. Alors, c'est tout. A bientot mes amis! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I just want to say thank you all so very much for supporting this story. I can't really express the happiness and joy I feel when I sign into my e-mail account and discover a multitude of messages alerting me that there are new reviews, followers, and etc. I just feel euphoric. In light of everyone's support, I'm going to release this chapter as it is. I was initially going to add more, but I feel like the place where this chapter leaves off is a perfect cliffhanger.**

**Pour les personnes qui comprend le francais, Vous etes tres, tres dynamique!**

**Standard disclaimer applies**

**Warning: rated M for adult themes. Readers under 18, read at your own discretion.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

After continuously tossing and turning in my sheets and after several sleepless hours, I sit up with a frustrated growl and run a hand through my tousled hair. My eyes feel like twenty-five pound dumbbells, but they stubbornly refuse to close. Sighing heavily, I swing my legs over the side of my bed and rub my heavy eyes. I decide that if I can't sleep, then I can make better use of my time by working at the hospital.

I trudge over to my bathroom and sluggishly feel for the light switch. I find it, flick it on, and almost scream bloody murder when I see my reflection in the mirror. There are dark bags under my lids, my skin is pale, and despite the tousled appearance of my cotton candy locks, my hair is lank and limp. Ugh, I look horrid. If this is the effect break ups have on women, then I don't want to get into another relationship. Yet deep down inside, I know that my heart yearns for Sasuke.

I head over to the shower and twist the faucet on, instantly reveling in the wonderful puffs of steam that slowly rise from the hot jet of water. I peel off all my sleeping garments and tentatively take one step into the shower, adjusting my body to the temperature of the hot water before I completely immerse myself. Like a robot I shampoo my hair and lather my body with wonderful smelling soap, allowing the soothing sensations of the shower to temporarily clear my mind of all negative thoughts. The relief is only temporary and once again thoughts of my current situation with the heartbreakingly gorgeous Uchiha invade my mind.

I rest my forehead against the cold tiles of the shower wall and stay in that position for quite some time mulling over everything. I realize that I do care about the reason why Sasuke and Karin split. At the diner, Sasuke mentioned the cause of their separation. It was due to Karin's father becoming ill. I frown. How does a man becoming ill break an engagement? I don't get it.

I twist the shower faucet off and dry my body with a fluffy, green towel. I love the color green. It's so calming, peaceful, down to earth, and I associate it with life. Plus, green is my eye color and I will not lie. My eyes are gorgeous. I'm not being conceited, just confident. I know there are other people with eyes more beautiful than mine. Hinata's for example. Her pearlescent, opaque eyes are lovely. They exhibit a sense of purity and innocence that lure in men, and the mystery veiled within ensnare them.

I don't take long to dress. I wear form-fitting blue jeans, a white t-shirt, a dark brown leather jacket, a red scarf, and dark brown zip up boots. I twist my slightly wet hair into a bun and grab the necessities: my cell phone, keys, and wallet. I will never understand why women love to burden themselves with carrying unreasonably enormous bags packed with God knows what. All a person really needs are the necessities. I snort thinking about all the designer handbags I see at Uchiha Corporations, and I imagine the bags being so heavy they cause the floors to collapse and bring down the entire building.

I tiptoe quietly down the stairs and to the door, not wanting to disturb my peacefully sleeping parents down the hall from my room. Once I'm outside, I walk briskly to my snow white Chevrolet Volt and hop inside. The temperature outside is really beginning to drop. I can see my breath whenever I exhale.

I take my time driving to the hospital, enjoying the serenity of the morning while families and animals alike continue slumbering in their warm beds. My cold, tired body craves the warmth and comfort of my own bed and my weary brain longs for sleep, but my restless mind filled with disturbing thoughts robs me of these comforts. I groan and almost smash my forehead against the steering wheel. Why the hell did I decide to go to work? Oh yeah that's right, it's because I'm crazy. Ugh, maybe my mom was right when she said I couldn't do it. Weak, my conscience taunts me and I grit my teeth. I am not weak.

I arrive at the hospital at 3:57 A.M. and mentally prepare myself inside the car. I made the decision to work instead of trying to fall asleep, so now I must abide by it.

"Come on Haruno, you can do this. Don't let that terrible, heartless, son of a gun ruin you. You march your nice, round booty into that hospital and save lives." I order myself and it gives me the burst of confidence I need to stride over to the hospital's sliding entrance doors and strut into the lobby. The pairs of eyes waiting in the lobby lock on me and watch intrigued as I make my way up the stairs. That's right, my name is Sakura Haruno and today I am going to save lives.

* * *

"Chief, he's coding." Terror seizes me as I stare at the still form of the little boy beneath my gloved hands. My eyes flicker briefly to the machine connected to his pulse and almost swear out loud when I see the flat line.

"Haruno, defibrillator, now," Tsunade barks at me and I immediately comply, grabbing the paddles from the OR nurse stationed at my right.

"Charge to one hundred," I order the nurse and wait for the sound of the paddles reaching full charge before laying them on the patient's gel covered chest and discharging the electricity. We watch the electrocardiogram with bated breath, waiting for any signal of a heartbeat, and we exhale sighs of relief when the flat line begins to rhythmically zip up and down.

"Good job Haruno. Now close up this damn hole." Tsunade's amber eyes bore into mine, cold and commandeering. I nod my head before setting to work on this little boy's atrial septal defect.

Despite the calm, confident motions of my hands, my heart beats erratically. Even my conscience is silent. Every time I see a flat line, my vision blurs, my heart races, and an overwhelming feeling of dread grips me and threatens to freeze me in my tracks. I fear that I am inadequate, afraid of committing foolish mistakes that could cost a patient's life. It's only when the plateauing line transforms into pointed mountains that the moisture clears from my eyes, my pulse slows, and a euphoric sense of peace surges through me. But it's different when the life I'm trying to save belongs to a child.

I patch the hole in fifteen minutes, but it feels like I've been working for hours. I know it's because of the meticulous work that's required of surgeons. Every second and every movement counts. To waste a single unit of either could spell the end for the patient.

I head to the lobby to inform the child's parents that he's stable and that they can visit him. Once I'm in Konoha Grace Hospital's grand lobby, I call out the family's last name and watch as a young couple rises from their seats near a potted plant and approaches me cautiously. The father looks tired but the mother looks worse. It looks like she's on the verge of tears. She's probably preparing herself for the worst by expecting bad news, a smart move to mitigate any potential pain. The burst of energy and zeal from when I first entered the hospital has dramatically decreased, but I have just enough to muster a small smile and a warm greeting for the child's parents.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Haruno and I'm the doctor assigned to your son's case." The parents solemnly nod their heads, but I'm able to catch the father's tightening embrace and the mother's slight tremble. They look at me expectantly, putting on their bravest faces in case the news I harbor is awful.

"H-How's m-my baby? Is he—"

The mother can't complete her sentence because a heart-wrenching sob tears through her body. All the stress and grief of the night must've been bottling up, and she can't hold her pain in any longer.

"Please, how's our son? He's our only child. Please!" The father pleads with me.

I gently grip his shoulder and immediately feel his muscles tense in anticipation. His eyes grow wide and I can already see the gears turning in his mind. He thinks my move is a sign of sympathy and pity, that I'm telling him his son died. I act quickly to dispel his false conception and to finally give peace to this troubled couple's hearts.

"He's stable and his vitals are great. We permanently patched up the hole, so he can live a normal life as long as he eats and exercises healthily. He's resting right now in room 203 on the third floor of the hospital's children and infants wing, so you can—"

Suddenly I'm engulfed in two bone-crushing hugs and loud wails pierce my eardrums. The parents are literally crying their hearts out on my shoulders and I realize that it's not only them. In the process of enveloping me in their embrace, my arms automatically reached out and wrapped themselves around the couple's midsections. Tears of joy leak from my eyes and I cradle my head on the junction of the couple's connected shoulders.

Saving this couple's little boy and keeping their family intact is a wonderful start to the day after a shitty yesterday and a shitty night of sleep.

"Sakura!"

The couple releases me and the three of us turn to the voice that called my name. Standing at the top of the stairs is Konoha Grace Hospital's and Miami's esteemed plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist.

"Jugo!"

My day just became ten times better.

* * *

"Ah, so that's how it is." Jugo stares at me with kind, flame colored eyes. I just finished retelling yesterday's events and how my relationship with Sasuke Uchiha went to Hell.

I lift my Styrofoam cup filled with hospital coffee to my lips, but I set it back down when I realize that the dark brown liquid inside has become cold while I was storytelling. If there's something worse than hospital coffee, it's cold hospital coffee.

"Yuck, it's cold." I swirl the coffee and watch the dark ripples as they gyrate inside the cup. Suddenly, a large, warm hand snatches the cup from my grasp and I look up to find Jugo standing before me with his and my cup of coffee in his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"There's nothing more disgusting than hospital coffee other than cold hospital coffee right?" A deep, cheerful laugh emanates from Jugo's robust frame, and he walks away towards the coffee cart stationed several yards away.

I can't help but be hypnotized by the quivering of his broad, muscular shoulders and the steady stride of his long, powerful legs. His brilliant orange hair styled into messy spikes sway gently as he walks. They look silky smooth and soft to the touch. I'm entranced when Jugo smiles at the vendor, allowing me to catch a glimpse of his perfectly straight pearly whites. When he's walking towards me, I study his face and notice his other physical features. He has a nicely built torso, a strong jaw, and blemish-free skin. He's clean-shaven but possesses a facial structure that's slightly rugged. I realize that despite his age, Jugo is quite a good-looking man. When he hands me a fresh cup of coffee and he's finally sitting again, I decide to delve deeper into his life.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?"

Jugo's face takes on a serious expression then, and I squirm slightly in my chair.

"Yes, but I've fallen in love with you. I'll leave her if it means I can be with you." Jugo then proceeds to grab onto my hand that was resting lazily on the tabletop and intertwines our fingers.

I can't stop the rush of heat to my cheeks.

"What are you—"

"Relax, I was just kidding Sakura." Jugo takes a sip of his coffee but I can see his amused smile because of the upward slant of the corner of his lips as he drinks. His eyes are also twinkling with unrestrained mirth, so I know he's shamelessly teasing me.

I relax and release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"So do you or do you not have a girlfriend?" I question him once more.

"I don't." He takes another sip of his coffee.

It genuinely surprises me. Why does he not have a girlfriend? He's smart, sweet, intelligent, funny, strong, good-looking…

My conscience snickers and I realize that I'm fantasizing about Jugo. It must be because my heart is already trying to forget about Sasuke.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend? You're so kind and sweet. Plus, you're funny, good-looking—"

Heat rises to my cheeks when I realize that I'm complimenting him as if I have feelings for him. Jugo's cheeks take on a rosy complexion as a blush of his own blooms across his face. The atmosphere around us feels tense, energized as if electricity is crackling through the air. If I wasn't warm a while ago, then I'm definitely warm now. My face and neck are so warm it's as if I've been wearing a big, wool scarf. Jugo coughs and looks away rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, it's because I'm not ready for one." Jugo glances at me shyly and my heart does a backflip. Why am I feeling like this? Am I crushing on Jugo? Is it attraction? No, I reason with myself, it's because Jugo's a kind person and I want to have him as a friend.

"You're not ready for one?" I push on.

"Yeah, I want to focus on straightening out my life and reaching a stable condition. That way, when I'm ready to have a family I won't have to worry about supporting them." Jugo's staring thoughtfully into the contents of his cup, similar to the time when the two of us were in the elevator.

"That's a wonderful plan Jugo. It's respectable to think about others before yourself. Just don't forget about your own happiness okay?" I reach across the table and give Jugo's hand a reassuring squeeze which he returns with a gentle squeeze.

A loud beeping sound disrupts the moment and Jugo releases my hand to pull out his pager. He takes one glance at it then abruptly stands up with a frown marring his handsome face.

"What's wrong Jugo? Is it a patient?" Jugo nods his head then turns around to leave. He stops when he realizes that he hasn't said bye to me and swivels on his spot.

"It's okay." I smile reassuringly.

"Yeah sorry, it's really urgent. It was nice talking to you Sakura. Let's do it again sometime!" Jugo scratches the back of his head and momentarily flashes me with his pearly whites before turning once more and briskly walking away.

Suddenly, an image of Jugo playfully wrestling with a large dog materializes in my mind and I wonder how Molly is doing. I hope she's alright.

* * *

After my small chat with Jugo, I decide to do a little research on Karin's father since I'm not being paged for any surgeries. I head to the room where all the medical records are kept and head straight for the "U" section. I'm assuming that Karin's last name is Uzumaki since she's Naruto's cousin. My hunch is correct and I easily find Karin's father's case under the name Uzumaki. I spend a good twenty minutes in that room analyzing the case. I'm shocked speechless at what I discover.

Karin's father is alive and he suffers from gastrointestinal stromal tumors or GISTs. The gears in my mind begin to spin rapidly and memories of this particular disease resurface. They're the byproducts of a very rare type of cancer that begins in the _interstitials cells of Cajal. _Ten to twenty individuals out of a million develop GISTs per year. Most of them are men between the ages of fifty-five and sixty-five, and the survival rate is between twenty-eight to sixty percent. Particularly large GISTs can cause bowel obstructions, perforations, or gastrointestinal tract hemorrhages.

It's amazing that Karin's father is still alive.

But what strikes me as odd is: how does his illness tie into Karin's and Sasuke's separation? Before I can ponder more on this enigma, my pager beeps and interrupts the silence in the medical records room. I return the file to its original place and head towards the OR. I'll continue to unravel the mystery that is Sasuke's and Karin's former engagement, but for now I'm going to save lives.

* * *

**J'esperes que vous aimez cette chapitre! A bientot!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a few weeks since we've last encountered each other hasn't it? I've been busy with college finals and enjoying my winter break as much as possible before I get back into the groove of studying, ridiculous amounts of reading, stressing, and listening to rather boring lectures. **

**I just want to say thanks to everyone who is supporting this story one way or another. Whether it be through reviews, following this story, adding this story to your favorites, I appreciate all the support. I'm sorry I don't reply to everyone, but I do take into consideration what you guys say. Sometimes, what you guys recommend has my imagination whirring in a direction totally opposite from my original direction. **

**I also want to remind everyone that this story has no backbone, meaning, there is no set outline or plot. Every chapter comes straight from the imagination and builds off the previous chapter. What I'm writing and producing is purely instinctual and is published without a second thought, so I don't know how long my bold improvisation will last. But please bear with me and we'll all make it through this together.**

**Happy reading!**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Warning: rated M for adult themes. Readers under 18, continue at your own discretion.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

* * *

I stare uneasily at the closed solid mahogany door before me. It's been two days since the incident with Sasuke at the diner, but it feels like it happened the night before. Nervous butterflies flutter in the pit of my stomach, and a large lump has formed in my throat. My heart beats erratically and my skin is clammy. Even though I'm not face to face with the gorgeous Uchiha, he's still able to induce fear. The question is: why the hell am I afraid?

It angers me that he has such a profound effect on me when I was the one who ended things. I was the one who let him go so he could have another chance with the woman he loves. I was the one who sacrificed my feelings so he could save his. I destroyed our relationship so that he could rekindle his relationship with Karin. It doesn't make any sense.

Get a grip of yourself Haruno my conscience reprimands me. This is the path you chose so now you must follow it no matter what, she says.

Huh, that's easier said than done, but she does have a point. I chose to break up with Sasuke Uchiha and I'll be damned if I'll be the one sniveling in a corner and hiding behind closed doors. I do a few jumping jacks to get my blood flowing and to warm up my cold body. When I'm finished, I fix my blouse, hold my chin up high, and take a big gulp of cleansing air.

That's right Haruno. You're a beautiful, strong, intelligent young woman. So march your tight round ass into that office and quit being scared my conscience cheers.

I grab the silver handle and take a moment to gather my confidence before twisting it and waltzing into the office.

"Good morning—"

The greeting dies in my throat and the sight that greets me freezes me in my tracks and makes my warmed blood run cold in a heartbeat. Sasuke's in the office but he's not alone. Karin is sitting on his desk in front of him with her arms wrapped around his head, and Sasuke is sitting in his black leather chair with one arm wrapped around her petite waist and the other inserted into her blouse. They're locked in a passionate kiss. I can tell because Karin's hands are gripping onto Sasuke's silky raven locks as if they're her lifeline, and Sasuke's arm is likewise fastened tightly around her waist. I watch stunned as Sasuke's head dips lower, hinting that he's latched onto her exposed neck. Something inside me cracks and an overwhelming feeling of sorrow washes over me.

Sasuke begins to unbutton Karin's blouse and I instantly realize what's about to unfold in the office. Suddenly, I feel like an intruder barging in on a couple about to make love and it hurts like hell. I open my mouth to say something, make a sound, anything, but the words are caught in my throat. I don't know what to say. I can't say anything. I can only watch silently as Sasuke and Karin continue their tango of tongue and hands, too stricken by hurt to do anything else. I feel betrayed, angry, and many more negative emotions. I expected Sasuke and Karin to become an item again within the span of two or three weeks and not within the span of two damned days.

The emotion that rises above the rest and overtakes my body is anger. I want to murder something. Once my mind has registered that Sasuke and Karin are indeed minutes away from having sex on Sasuke's desk, I open my mouth with the cruel intentions of interrupting. However, before I can even so much as utter a sound, Sasuke's closed eyes open and zero in on my frozen form like a moth drawn to a flame. He momentarily halts his assault on Karin's exposed cleavage before resuming as if I'm not standing on the threshold of his office witnessing them as they shamelessly fornicate on his desk. Karin doesn't notice the brief pause. God, is she stupid or something? No, my conscience responds, she's just lost in the throes of pleasure. I wince. My conscience's words strike a painful chord in my heart.

Sasuke doesn't close his eyes. He keeps them open and trained on me. There's something dark in them, something sinister. I catch the slight tilt of his lips and I realize that he's smirking against Karin's flawless skin. He knows that what they're doing is hurting me and he's enjoying it, the bastard. He's getting back at me for breaking up with him. A disgraceful move when I was only trying to help him with Karin.

My hands fist at my sides and my teeth grind together. I've had enough of this disgusting revenge show. If Sasuke won't be the one to stop this ridiculousness, then I will.

I cough loudly and place my hands defiantly on my hips. Thankfully, Karin isn't so lost in the throes of pleasure that her hearing has become deaf. She gasps loudly when she realizes that there's another presence in the room, and she proceeds to push Sasuke away and hop off the desk. I smirk as she tries to discreetly button up her blouse, but it's too late.

Sasuke glares at me which I return full force.

Once Karin is finished fastening the last button, she looks over her shoulder to see who interrupted. We stare at each other for a few seconds before Karin surrenders and picks up her Louis Vuitton handbag. Before exiting, she stoops down resting her perfectly manicured hands on Sasuke's broad shoulders, and gives him a long, wet kiss which Sasuke fervently returns. I look away gritting my teeth. God I just want to scream and break something.

I glare daggers into the back of Karin's head as she walks down the hallway intentionally swaying her hips in what she thinks must be provocative. I snort. A woman with real grace and curves wouldn't need to try to walk sexily. I guess that means Karin's hips must be made of plastic.

When I turn around again, I find that Sasuke's leaning back in his office chair with his hands clasped arrogantly behind his head. His gaze is transfixed on Karin's behind. I roll my eyes.

"Glad to see that you're already trying to make amends." I'm surprised at the calmness of my voice when my emotions are in complete disarray on the inside.

"Hn," Sasuke responds and I shiver involuntarily from the deepness of his voice. God, I missed hearing his voice.

Sasuke smirks at me triumphantly and I want to march over and smack his foolish head.

"Jealous," he drawls lazily, taunting me, but I refuse to play along with his games.

"Sasuke, I ended things between us so you could have another shot at love with Karin. Don't be stupid and use her to get back at me for a favor I did for you." I purposefully neglect to deny his accusation of jealousy. There would be no point in saying I'm not when I know my heart and expression say otherwise.

Sasuke's smirk is wiped cleanly from his face and transforms into a glare.

"How the hell is breaking up with me a favor to me?" Sasuke hisses at me fueling my rage. Does he not see that I sacrificed my own happiness so that he could have his? I rub my temples feeling the beginning of a headache. This is not how I want to start my morning.

"Sasuke," I sigh, "I broke up with you so you could be with Karin. So you could be with the woman you love."

Sasuke walks briskly around his desk and straight up to me, blocking the way to my office space.

"Who said I want to be with Karin?" He murmurs lowly and the crack in my heart deepens. Don't do this to me Sasuke I plead sorrowfully in my head. Don't give me false hope when you know you're still in love with that woman.

I stare deep into his fathomless black eyes, easily becoming entranced by their darkness but holding fast to my sanity. He steps closer to me and wraps his strong arms around my waist. I can't prevent the sense of safety I feel being enveloped in his embrace. I don't resist him but neither do I respond. My arms just hang limply at my sides.

Sasuke grips my chin with one hand and props my face up, but he doesn't release me from his hold. Slowly, his head dips closer to mine and his eyes shut halfway. Mine involuntarily shut halfway. His lips are mere centimeters from mine and I can feel the crackling of desire and need in the air, zipping through my bloodstream and making my heart race. I wonder if the same phenomenon is happening to Sasuke.

My fingers twitch but I steel my arms, forcing them to remain motionless. I refuse to give in. Sasuke's lips lightly brush mine but I continue to hold my ground. His eyes completely shut and he presses his lips fully on mine. My eyes are still halfway shut but just barely.

At first he moves slowly, gently, but my unresponsiveness spurs his kisses to grow zealous. He tries hard to coax my mouth open by licking my lip with his delicious tongue, but I remain strong and keep my lips sealed. When I still don't respond after several more seconds, he decides to abandon my lips and latch onto my neck licking, biting, sucking, and blowing. I almost let out a moan of ecstasy but otherwise remain silent and motionless. Suddenly, Sasuke tears his mouth away and his grip on my waist tightens. He rests his forehead against mine.

"God dammit Sakura, why are you doing this," Sasuke's eyes are clenched shut. His teeth are grinding together and his body is trembling from pent up emotions. Light pouring in from the floor to ceiling windows hits Sasuke's eyes and something glistens. I realize that his long, thick lashes are heavy with moisture.

Is Sasuke crying? My heart breaks a little more.

Sasuke's eyes open and the whites of his eyes are red and indeed glistening with unshed tears. At that moment he looked like nothing more than a boy with a broken heart and I just want to embrace him, kiss him, and tell him that I want him back if he'll take me, and that I'm sorry for hurting him.

"Why," he repeats.

"Because," my voice is a weak whisper, "you still love her and you deserve another chance with her. Her father seems to be good now so maybe you guys can go ahead and get—"

My words are trapped in my mouth when Sasuke seals my lips with his and inserts his tongue. I can no longer restrain my desires and I seize Sasuke's hair, gripping onto his soft ebony tresses just as hard as Karin did. Thinking about her hands touching Sasuke adds to my anger and I have the urge to possess Sasuke in every way, marking him as mine. Our tongues battle for dominance and only cease when Sasuke and I pull away for air. We're both breathing hard.

"I don't love her the way you think I do Sakura."

"But—"

"I don't want another chance with her," Sasuke cradles my face in his large, warm hands.

"I want a chance with you." Sasuke murmurs and kisses me tenderly on the lips.

"Then why was she in your office?" I accuse him.

"I invited her because I was so angry at you for breaking up with me, but the whole time I was thinking about you." His eyes are sincere.

"But you didn't stop even though you saw me standing here."

"I know and I'm sorry, but you were looking at me with so much disgust. I lost control and truly believed that the one I was kissing, touching, was you." Sasuke gives me another tender kiss.

"Sasuke—"

He gives me another kiss, then another, but I stop him before we end up making out again.

"Sasuke stop." I push at his chest to create some distance between us, but Sasuke pulls me back so that his forehead is resting on mine again. I sigh. Jeez, I feel so tired and it's still early in the morning.

"Sasuke," I raise my hand and lay it against his cheek and he instantly leans into my touch. The action is endearing.

"Let's make a deal." Sasuke stares at me intensely.

"If you give Karin a fair shot at being together again and it still doesn't work out, and if you still have feelings for me, then I'll be yours." I say softly. Sasuke remains silent for several seconds.

"It doesn't matter if I give her a shot or not, I'll still want you Sakura." I shake my head.

"Sasuke, that's not the point."

"Then what is?" He clenches his jaw.

"The point is that you still love her and your engagement was broken off because of her father's illness and not because you fell out of love with her. Karin at least deserves this." I reason logically with him. I know that if I were in Karin's shoes, that I'd want a fair shot at making my relationship with Sasuke work.

For a moment I fear that Sasuke's going to reject my offer, but then he nods and a weight feels like it's been lifted off my shoulders.

"Thanks—"

"But," he interrupts me by placing the pad of his thumb against my lips and caressing them softly.

"On one condition," he stares intently at me. What condition could he possibly have? The deal already sounds fair and equal.

"You can't be with other guys." My eyes widen and my hand drops from his face.

"You look disappointed," he glares at me.

"No, it's not that." I appease him.

"I'm just surprised."

"Hn."

"Fine, I accept." Sasuke then proceeds to smash his lips against mine as if sealing the deal.

* * *

After that whole ordeal, Sasuke and I went to work. We were both silent most of the time, and the only time we spoke was when I asked him if he wanted anything for lunch. I bought him a tomato and cheese sandwich at the café where Tenten works.

Naturally, Tenten immediately bombarded me with questions about my well-being once I entered the establishment. I didn't feel like giving her answers right then and there, so I side-stepped her inquisition by offering a weak smile and a quick change of topics by placing my and Sasuke's orders. She glared at me but I pretended not to notice. I'll tell her eventually.

The rest of the work day is thankfully peaceful. We don't have any more arguments. We don't scream and shout obscenities at each other. It's nice. We were both able to get a lot of work done. At 4 P.M. Sasuke had an important business meeting he needed to attend. He said it was an agreement that would hopefully allow Uchiha Corporations to absorb the smaller company. I teased him and called him a greedy, power hungry tyrant. Of course, being the arrogant and conceited man he is, he merely smirked and casually walked away. I mumbled curses after him.

Sasuke told me the meeting might run long, but he asked me to wait for him. So here I am waiting in the cold on the side of the Uchiha Corporation's grand main headquarters building. I check my watch and grumble my displeasure when I see that it's already 6 P.M. Where the hell could he be?

Suddenly, a pair of arms wraps themselves around my waist and pulls me back so that my back is resting against a strong chest. My initial reaction is to pull away and beat whoever has the audacity to touch me into a bloody pulp. However, a scent that I'm well accustomed to envelops me and invades my nostrils. I want to moan. Sasuke's scent is so unique and so delicious just like everything else about him. It's a heady, masculine scent that causes a coil to tighten in the pit of my stomach. Sasuke rests his chin on my left shoulder.

"Hungry?" He whispers. I roll my eyes.

"Excuse me Mr. Uchiha, but you're supposed to give Karin a fair shot, so stop flirting with me." I pull away and turn around to face him with my arms crossed.

He coolly stuffs his hands into his suit pants' pockets and regards me with an arrogant smirk. It's irritating.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I demand.

"You like that I'm flirting with you. Your cheeks are all red." My mouth falls open in shock. The nerve of this man!

"No they're not!"

Sasuke continues to look at me with that annoying smirk of his, so I take out my phone and look at my reflection on the screen. To my horror, my cheeks are in fact sporting a rosy blush.

"It's not because you were flirting with me!" I quickly say.

"My cheeks are red because it's freezing out here." I rub my upper arms in an up and down motion to support my claim, but Sasuke just emits an amused chuckle which riles me up even more. He thinks I'm not serious.

"Listen here you—"

"Shut up and let's go." For the second time in less than five minutes, my mouth drops open in shock.

"What did you—"

Sasuke sighs and grabs my elbow, pulling me along.

"Hey, where do you think you're taking me?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke!"

"Just shut up and follow." He lets go of my elbow but snatches on to my hand instead. I try to pull away but his grip is firm and strong.

"Stupid, cocky, arrogant Uchiha," I mutter under my breath. Sasuke chuckles and I can't stop the stupid smile from forming on my face.

* * *

Sasuke and I continue walking for twenty more minutes. I have no inclination whatsoever as to where the gorgeous business mogul is taking me.

Approximately ten minutes ago, we walked into an area of the city with newly constructed towers. For miles on end, all I can see are magnificent structures built out of crystalline glass and sleek, sturdy steel. The community is bustling with life. Numerous restaurants line up the sidewalks and try to attract pedestrians with enticing aromas wafting through slightly ajar doors. There's a park with lush green grass, tall maple trees, and a koi-filled medium-sized pond. Men and women of all shapes, sizes, and ages tread on the viridian blades of grass. Children barely past the age of six play carefree on the playground. Parents watch from afar on picnic blankets while nibbling on fine looking delicacies. Adorable, elderly couples walk hand-in-hand on the pathway, content smiles decorating their faces.

Up ahead from where Sasuke and I are walking, I catch sight of a large, circular building with Italian inspired architecture. As we get closer and pass it by, I realize that the roof of the building is a large dome covered in porcelain shingles. Pillars of limestone support a massive archway. I take a glimpse through the automatic glass sliding doors and stop right in my tracks. Inside the domed structure are rows upon rows of tall, grand bookcases filled with books of different colors, shapes, and sizes.

"It's a library!" I exclaim excitedly to Sasuke.

I've never seen a library so magnificent and so beautiful.

"Sasuke, can we go inside?" I pull eagerly on his hand, intent on going inside the marvelous institute, but Sasuke doesn't budge. I try and snatch my hand away but his grip is too strong.

He chuckles. "I'll take you another time Sakura. We haven't reached our destination yet."

I stare at Sasuke, studying him. If there's anything out of the ordinary with him, then I can at least try and decipher where we're going. I sigh.

"Sasuke, where exactly are you taking me?" I glance at my watch and almost groan when it reads 6:37 P.M. My stomach grumbles loudly of its own volition and heat instantly floods my cheeks.

Sasuke chuckles again and shakes his head, but otherwise continues to pull me along. I swear, if this walk was all for nothing I'm going to beat his ass.

We walk for five more minutes until we stop before a soaring tower with glistening glass windows and shiny metal accents. There's a modern sign built into the ground several feet from the entrance and it reads, FAN APARTMENTS.

Hmm, where have I seen that name before?

Suddenly, images of the park I saw earlier and the library bubble to the surface of my mind, but this time in the folds of a beautifully printed pamphlet. In golden lettering, the words UPPER EAST SIDE MANHATTAN take shape against the darkness of my eyelids. A gasp escapes me when I realize where we are.

"Sasuke don't tell me—"

"You said you want to be independent, so you're going to get it." Sasuke squeezes my hand and proceeds to walk through the building's bullet-proof sliding glass doors.

I feel like I'm in a dream as I step over the threshold of the high-rise comprised of luxury apartments. The place featured in the pamphlet I was looking at several weeks ago. The place I was planning on moving into once I was stable at work. The question is: why the hell am I here?

* * *

**Woo! We made it to the end of this chapter. I request that you guys inform me if you caught any spelling or grammatical errors. It upsets me when I catch them in other authors' stories, and it most certainly upsets me when I catch them in my stories. So please, if you happen to come across any, then notify me at once and I will amend the error. Thanks for reading and tune in for the next chapter! Je vous adore!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It's been a long time! I'm truly sorry for such a long delay. I have no viable excuse other than I simply chose not to write. I hope this chapter makes up for some of the delay. I do not own any of the clothing brands mentioned in this chapter, which are the sole property of their respective designers.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Warning: rated M for adult themes. Readers under 18, continue at your own discretion.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"Sakura sweetheart, are you sure about this?" my dad asks me uncertainly. He's helping me move into the brand new luxury apartment that Sasuke Uchiha bought me.

"But you barely know the man! For heaven's sake, your father and I barely know the man!" my mom spazzes at the kitchen counter as she prepares three steaming cups of jasmine green tea, one of my favorite brews. She's helping me move into the apartment too.

She makes a valid point. There's absolutely no logical reason for me to accept a gift of this magnitude from a man who I've only really known for several months. Many would call it illogical, risky, and simply idiotic. However, when you're a brand new surgical intern with a meager starting income while simultaneously working as a secretary for a major corporation then accepting a gift this grand is completely logical, at least in my books. If Sasuke wants to spend his money, which is essentially unlimited in supply, and buy me this amazing apartment, then I have no qualms whatsoever. He's a grown man who works hard to earn his own income so he deserves to spend it any way he sees fit.

My mom walks around the counter carefully holding onto the handles of two tea mugs. She passes one steaming mug to my dad and hands me the other. She returns to the counter to grab the last mug sitting on the granite countertop before returning to sit on my brand new reclining sectional sofa. She sits at one end of the sofa with her feet tucked underneath her thighs, while I lazily lean back against the corner and my dad reclines at the other end.

"Jesus Christ sweet pea, the man even bought you this furniture?" my mom's tone is skeptical and I don't blame her. I was skeptical when I walked into the apartment to find that every room was already fully furnished. My parents basically helped me move in my closet which is neatly packed away into multiple cardboard boxes.

"I'm not complaining. This sofa feels amazing on my back." my dad drawls lazily from his position on the reclining portion of the sofa. My mom glares at him but he either ignores her, or he doesn't see her.

"A luxurious apartment equipped with equally luxurious furniture does not give the man merit!" my mom exclaims, but I smirk when I catch my dad's drooping eyes. My mother's eyes narrow into slits and I watch amusedly as her muscles tense, ready to unleash her fury on my poor defenseless dad.

"Mom, relax. Sasuke is a grown man who makes his own money without help from anyone. Let him spend his hard earned money any way he pleases." I place my lips on the edge of my mug and gently blow on the surface of the hot amber liquid to slightly cool it before taking a careful sip.

The flowery herbal aroma of the tea helps to loosen my tightened muscles from a day of moving. Later I plan to take a nice hot bath in the master bathroom's gigantic porcelain tub to fully unwind. Just the thought of soaking in hot water with lit candles and a million dollar view of the park and city has me itching to throw my parents out of the apartment.

"Still, for him to go so far as to buy you this apartment. It's like he's buying his way into your heart or something."

My mom takes a sip of her tea before her brows knit together. That's when I know she's gone and gotten lost in her own thoughts. Her last comment is unsettling. What if what she said is true and Sasuke is trying to nestle his way into my heart by showering me with lavish gifts? How would I feel?

I'd feel furious for one. My love isn't some kind of commodity or object that someone can just purchase with outrageously expensive items. The thought of Sasuke buying my love unnerves me. If he is trying to do just that, what would be his motive? I have nothing to offer the man. He's a billionaire-playboy-extraordinaire blessed with godly looks and a vast multi-billion dollar empire. There's nothing I could possibly give him that would even remotely compare to all his possessions. He could practically buy his own country for heaven's sake!

So what could I possibly offer? I think long and hard about my assets and chuckle softly to myself when I realize that all I really have to offer are my bubblegum pink hair and emerald green eyes. I'm sure there's not another person in the world that possesses these same two physical traits of mine. Of course, my dad is an exception since he provided me with the genes necessary to reproduce pink hair, and the same is true for my mom who graciously gave me beautiful green eyes.

I look up at my parents after mulling through my mom's last comment about Sasuke and smile softly when I find that both have fallen asleep. It's a wonder that their mugs full of scalding hot tea haven't toppled over yet, but I'm not waiting for that catastrophe to happen. I gulp down the remaining green tea in my mug before standing up and stretching my joints until I hear multiple resounding pops. I head over to one of the cardboard boxes near my dad's side labeled BLANKETS in my mom's elegant penmanship and pull out two wool blankets. The season is shifting into winter and as a result, temperatures are cooling down and one can now see their breath whenever they exhale. I gently take my parents' mugs from their loose fingers and place them on coasters. I then proceed to unfold the wool blankets and wrap them securely around my parents' torsos to ensure they stay warm.

Once they're nice and cozy I quietly tip toe to my bathroom and immediately start filling the tub with hot water. As the tub fills I walk into my room to grab a bath towel, a robe, and my phone just in case someone texts or calls me. The tub is full and steaming when I reenter the bathroom, so I shut off the faucet and add jasmine and vanilla scented oils to the water. I set up candles around the perimeter of the tub and light them up before lowering the intensity of the chandelier in the room to a soft yellow-orange glow. I gather up my hair into a bun on the top of my head to prevent the strands from getting wet, uncaring if a few strands of hair manage to pull free. A contented sigh escapes past my lips as I immerse myself in the soothingly hot water, and I instantly feel my tense muscles relax. After several minutes of simply soaking in the tub, I feel extremely pliant.

The tub is strategically built alongside a pair of French windows that open up to a spectacular view of Upper East Side Manhattan. I momentarily close my eyes and bask in the warmth of the sun's fading light as the day transitions from evening to night. The pastel orange, pink, and purple swaths that color the sky slowly transform into a blanket of deep blue-violet. Below, the tops of the gigantic trees that cover Central Park blend in with the darkness and become lost, and dozens of miniscule yellow-orange lights flare up and dot the darkened landscape like buzzing fireflies. All around me, towering buildings of modern-day architectural ingenuity light up like beacons in the city and sparkle brilliantly against the blue-violet sky.

The view really is a million, maybe a billion, dollar view and I feel really grateful to Sasuke that he gave me such an extravagant gift. In all honesty, I wouldn't care if the rest of the apartment was in disarray as long as this part was untouched and intact.

After several more minutes of appreciating my special view, I decide it's time to actually clean my body so I grab the sponge sitting on the tub's edge and dip it into the warm water. I rub all over my body careful not to wet my hair, relishing in the delicious scent of jasmine flowers and warm vanilla. My phone rings just as the sponge glides over my breasts and I release an annoyed grunt. I was really hoping that people would be so kind as to not disturb me while I'm unwinding and relaxing in my gorgeous tub.

Releasing a sigh, I grab my phone and check the collar ID. It's Tenten.

"What's up—"

"Sakura, whatever you're doing stop it right now and get your tight round ass into a tight little dress because we're going clubbing," she gushes excitedly.

"Tenten it's late, I'm tired, and—"

"Oh c'mon Sakura, I know Sasuke gave you the day off so you could move into that fancy new apartment of yours, which I will be visiting soon," I want to groan out loud. It's only the first day in my apartment, boxes are still unpacked, and Tenten expects me to go clubbing?

"Listen Tenten, I'm grateful for your invitation and all, but I still have boxes to unpack—"

"Yeah, I can see that." She responds coolly and I imagine her smirking smugly with her arms crossed over her chest. Her response immediately sets off warning bells in my head. She can see that my boxes are unpacked? That's not possible unless she's in my apartment.

"Tenten," I start off uneasily, "where are you?" I shut my eyes and silently chant to myself hoping she's not in my apartment.

"I'm sitting on your sofa which is way more fucking comfortable than my bed by the way." My eyes fly open and I sit still in my tub for a few seconds, allowing the fact to sink in that Tenten is in my apartment uninvited and I don't have any idea as to how she was able to enter in the first place.

"Hey Sakura, where are you?" the sound of heels clacking against my hardwood floors forces my mind to come to a faster realization, and I'm immediately scrambling to get out of the tub and into my fluffy white bathrobe. The tomboyish brunette walks into my bathroom and turns up the chandelier's light just as I'm finishing tying my robe closed.

When I look up, Tenten is leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk plastered onto her face.

"Hmm, fate must be on my side since you apparently just finished bathing. Now get ready." However, my mind doesn't fully register Tenten's words as I'm too preoccupied with being shocked.

The tomboyish brunette I've come to know and befriend is definitely not the same one standing before me in black leather Prada boots and a navy blue Ralph Lauren skin tight high collar long-sleeved club dress. The hem of the dress actually stops mid-thigh. On top of the sexy feminine outfit her standard twin buns are nowhere to be seen, and instead all I see are waves of silky chocolate tresses that end mid-back. What further astonishes me is the fact that she's actually wearing make-up! Eye shadow the same shade as her dress colors her eyelids, her brows are plucked, her lashes accentuated by dark mascara, and her lips defined by a blue lipstick so dark it nearly resembles black.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Tenten?" the beautiful brunette standing before me frowns and walks towards me.

"Nothing, and is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's just you look so different and so goddamn sexy. You look amazing Tenten." She really does.

"Yeah, yeah, now shut it and get into your hottest clubbing outfit because I'm ready to go hog crazy." Tenten brushes off my comment with a wave of her manicured hand, but I easily see the blush that blooms on her cheeks. I know at this point it's already futile to even try and argue with the adamant brunette, so I head straight to my room and prepare to go clubbing.

It doesn't take me long to find an appropriate dress and do my makeup. I wear a simple black bandeau clubbing dress that tastefully hugs all my curves and shows off my toned arms and legs. I may be a surgical intern and a part-time secretary, but I don't skimp out on my workouts. I understand perfectly the health and social benefits of staying in shape and maintaining a healthy physique. To match my dress, I slip on black pumps with silver spikes running along the toe and upper heel. I apply a simple coating of mascara and lip gloss and I'm out the door with Tenten in no later than fifteen minutes, of course not before leaving my parents a note stating that I went clubbing with a wild animal.

* * *

We arrive at the club in roughly twenty minutes and a low whistle escapes my glossed lips upon sight of the grand building.

"Are you sure we're going clubbing Tenten, or are we staying at a hotel?" I turn to look at Tenten to find a knowing smirk on her face.

"This, my bubblegum haired friend, is none other than Club Fan. The most exclusive and expensive club in Upper East Side Manhattan, and one of the most expensive clubs in the entire state of New York. Its owner is also someone you're well acquainted with." Tenten's smirk becomes mischievous and I instantly recognize Club Fan's owner.

"It's Sasuke isn't it?" There's neither excitement nor amusement in my voice. I'm really starting to get irked by how much Sasuke's influencing my life.

"Bingo! And he gave us all-access VIP passes so we wouldn't have to wait in line, and it comes with complimentary seating in the loft!" Tenten gushes animatedly like a schoolgirl and I commit the image to memory, planning to use it as blackmail for the next time I want to force Tenten into submission. If she thinks she can get away with taking me clubbing against my will, then she's sadly mistaken.

Tenten grabs me by the arm and drags me to the club's front entrance. Standing guard at the front entrance is a tall, burly man dressed in a fitted black suit, crisp white dress shirt, black tie, and black sunglasses. Placed securely in his left ear is an earpiece attached to an unseen object in his pants' left pocket by a coiling spring cord. He looks every bit the standard security guard.

"Passes," he inquires in a smooth bass. Tenten wastes no time in flashing him our MVP passes with a wide grin on her face. The bouncer simply nods his head and steps aside, granting us entrance into Club Fan.

Upon stepping inside, I'm instantly blasted by the sound system's deep, reverberating bass, and my nostrils are hit by the smell of expensive, fragrant cologne mixed with sweat. It's a heady, intoxicating smell that causes a coil in the pit of my stomach to tighten.

Alternating flashes of white and blue momentarily illuminate the club in brilliant light, while gold and brass ornate lamps hanging from the club's high ceilings gently bathe the room with a soft amber glow. The walls of the club are covered by what appears to be expensive and professionally done black wallpaper detailed by veins of gold. The dance floor is one gigantic rectangle of tiles that shift colors from red, blue, and purple with a red and white fan symbol in the center. A fully stocked gorgeous chrome bar spans a third of each wall, and booths of black leather couches curved around a chrome table span the remainder of the walls. To the left of the entrance is a staircase that runs along the walls and leads to a second level.

The loft area reserved for those with VIP passes is comprised of booths similar to the ones below and a bar immediately adjacent to the staircase. The bartender working behind the counter graciously hands Tenten and I iced strawberry margaritas upon reaching the last step, and we head to one of the empty booths away from the metal railing.

Once we're comfortable and seated I take a tentative sip of the margarita and allow the icy liquid to swirl on my tongue before swallowing. It's sweet and delicious and it glides down my throat effortlessly. It's been a while since I've drank any kind of alcoholic beverage so I decide that this margarita is going to serve as my preferred drink for the night.

I glance at Tenten and raise an eyebrow at her empty drink glass. Even the rim of the glass is wiped clean of any salt.

"Thirsty Tenten?"

"Hell yeah! I'm gonna go get another one. Want one?" I laugh at Tenten's excitement over her drink and respond with a nod as I take another sip of the sweet concoction. She gives me a bright smile and leaves our booth to grab additional drinks.

While the unusually boisterous brunette is away getting strawberry margaritas, I take the time to fully observe my surroundings, or more specifically the other people in the club. A majority of the clubbers are young men and women probably in their mid- to late-twenties, and it's blaringly apparent by their expensive looking clothes that they all come from wealthy families. I take a big sip of my drink as I turn my gaze to a booth several booths away from me and lock eyes with a man lounging casually against the back of the couch. He's accompanied by two other people but I can't accurately identify them due to the insufficient amount of light shining on their shadowed figures.

Unruly ebony hair frames his beautiful, aristocratic face and offsets his flawless ivory skin. Day's old stubble covers his jaw and mouth, giving him a sexy, rugged appearance. He's wearing a fitted white button-up shirt that clings deliciously to his muscular body with the top two buttons undone, revealing part of his toned chest. Gray slim chinos, held securely by a black belt, hang low on his hips revealing a sliver of black silk boxers and are accompanied by black suede oxfords. On his left wrist is a black leather watch accentuated by a platinum face while black onyx studs decorate his ear lobes. He's painfully gorgeous but what captures my attention the most are his obsidian eyes that shine like black diamonds under the iridescence of the hanging lamps and the quick flashes of club light.

I'm trapped by his strong steady gaze and a feeling in my gut warns me that I know this man. Despite the distance between us I gaze deeply into his abysmal black eyes, trying and thinking hard to learn his identity. Ever so slowly his sculpted lips tilt on the bias into an oh-so-sexy smirk and I almost spit out my margarita. The gorgeous man sitting two or three booths away and looking like he doesn't have a care in the world is none other than Sasuke Uchiha. The same man who recently bought me a very expensive apartment and who owns the dance club I'm currently sitting in.

Before I can fully gather my bearings, another ice cold strawberry margarita is placed carefully in front of me, but it's not the heavenly margarita that manages to distract me from gawking at Sasuke. It's the hand that placed it down. I follow the olive-skinned hand upwards to find a black sleeve and continue further to see the smirking face of Kiba Inuzuka, the man I momentarily danced with at Naruto's twenty-sixth birthday party.

"Hey there," he drawls lazily in his gruff baritone and it sends pleasant shivers up my spine.

"Hey yourself," I manage to respond back smoothly.

I feel slightly guilty because the last time I was around Kiba, I ditched him in the middle of our dance when I was one second away from kissing him. Looking at his unshaven but handsome face I can easily tell that he's remembering the same time I am. I just hope he won't hold it against me. I glance back at Sasuke's booth and discover stormy pools of obsidian. I almost groan out loud. If Sasuke starts something in his own club, he's going to be in a mess of trouble and I'm going to have to clean it up.

"Mind if I join you?" Kiba nods towards the seat in front of me.

"Sure," I respond hesitantly.

Once he's seated he doesn't say anything more and instead opts to stare at me. Slightly unnerved but not one to back down from a staring competition, I gaze into his chocolate brown orbs. I take the opportunity to scan his outfit, or at least what I can see from his top half. He's wearing a fitted black button-up shirt, the top two buttons undone to reveal a toned chest and some chest hair. I'm not a big fan of chest hair but on Kiba it looks good. His brown hair is in its usual disarray of messy spikes but this time his face is void of any facial hair. He suddenly looks several years younger than when I encountered him at Naruto's party.

"You left me." He finally says after about a minute of staring at me. It's not a question or confused statement and I don't blame him. I did leave him.

I can tell that he wants an explanation but I'm not exactly comfortable telling him that when I glanced at Sasuke, he looked like a kicked puppy which pulled on my heart strings and filled me with guilt.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had to take care of some business." It isn't a complete lie. I did need to take care of business. I needed to deal with an outrageously jealous and upset Sasuke Uchiha.

Kiba stares at me for a few more seconds and I'm afraid that he's going to inquire about the nature of my business. Thankfully, he decides to emit a low grunt and rake a hand through his already tousled hair.

"So what're you doing here?" I'm puzzled by his random appearance, but I guess his presence isn't totally inconceivable since he is the president of a major corporation and he does have the means to purchase an all-access VIP pass.

"Tenten called me and told me to come saying there was someone who wanted to meet me, and I'm assuming she dragged you here against your will." He hits the nail on the head and I offer him a small smile which he responds to with a lazy smirk.

"You owe me." He states calmly and I raise one eyebrow at him.

"Owe you what exactly?"

"Another dance," he responds simply, staring intently at me with his chocolate orbs as if gauging my reaction. He wants another dance? I guess I could give him one.

I stare past Kiba's left shoulder and lock eyes with Sasuke who's previously stormy demeanor now looks deadly. A tremor pulses through my body against my will. He's obviously displeased with my proximity to Kiba and his jealousy is so palpable I can almost see it radiating off his body in crashing green waves. Instead of feeling giddy that Sasuke's jealous of another man simply because I'm sitting across from him, I feel irritation slowly pouring into my system. It's ridiculous how jealous he is! Suddenly another dance with Kiba doesn't sound like a bad idea and I decide to push thoughts of Sasuke to the far reaches of my mind.

I turn back to Kiba masking my displeasure at Sasuke's envious disposition with what I hope is a sexy smile and respond with a breathy "yes." Kiba wastes no time in coming to my side and offering me a hand. I glance back at Sasuke, assuring I have his undivided attention before slowly placing my hand in Kiba's larger one. I feel a sense of victory course through me when Sasuke's eyes flash angrily and his grip on the couch tightens until his knuckles are white. I know that I shouldn't be baiting Sasuke like this especially since he gifted me a brand new apartment, but I can't help but toy with him like a person drawn to a flickering flame and playing with it. The thrill of angering something so dangerous like a powerful businessman and keeping it at bay surges through me and I savor the feeling. I'm fully aware that I could experience some serious repercussions later on down the line when it's just me and Sasuke again, but at my current point and time I could care less.

Kiba leads me down the staircase and once we're on the dance floor, my ass is grinding on his crotch like it's never known a cock before and Kiba's hands are latched onto my hips and gliding up and down my sides. Every time his rough skin makes contact with my exposed thighs and whenever I inhale his delicious scent I want to elicit a moan, but I bite it back not wanting to lead Kiba on. I only want to dance with the gorgeous man, not sleep with him. However, my body betrays my mind's orders to reign in all signs of desire and unleashes a shiver of pleasure.

"Leave with me," Kiba whispers huskily into the shell of my ear and my body involuntarily releases another shiver. I lay my head against his broad shoulder and content to mumble unintelligently. Kiba chuckles and continues to grind his semi-hard member into my backside.

I've never felt so lecherous and dirty in my life, but my body feels too good to care. I crack my eyes slightly open and observe the other dancers. I catch sight of a beautiful brunette dancing with a man who also has long brown locks and realize that it's Tenten. It's no wonder she never came back with my drink and Kiba arrived with the frosty alcoholic beverage instead. I stare at the man with long brown hair and take in his features. After staring at his handsome angular face and opaque violet eyes for a couple of seconds, I realize that the man Tenten is currently grinding against is her husband Neji. It bothers me that I could forget that Tenten is married, but I quickly erase the thought from my mind as the beat of the music slows to a sexy, deep bass. I close my eyes once again and enjoy the feeling of Kiba's hard pectorals, abdominals, and pelvis rubbing deliciously against my backside.

"Leave with me," Kiba whispers again into my ear and he rests his chin on the junction between my neck and shoulders, nuzzling his lips into the side of my neck. His arms wrap around my waist and I lay my hands on top of his. They're rough and warm. I'm so content that all I can do is rest my weight against his and mewl softly.

Out of nowhere I start getting this feeling that someone is watching me and burning holes into Kiba's head, so I grudgingly open my eyes and engage in an intense staring competition with Sasuke who's dancing with a beautiful black haired woman about a dozen feet away. Suddenly I'm not so comfortable dancing in Kiba's arms anymore, but before I can pull away from him Sasuke smirks evilly and dips his head into the crook of the woman's neck. I can tell he's whispering dirty things to her because her face heats up and she's stopped dancing. Watching them be so intimate causes my blood to boil and I want nothing more than to march over there and rip her away from Sasuke.

I almost do just that when I stop myself. Why do I care so much? I recall the time when I was sitting in on one of Tenten's martial arts lessons and she talked to me during a break. She basically told me to be vigilant about my relationship with Sasuke, fearing that I might fall in love with him and suggesting that my character would change. At that time I scoffed at her anxiety and brushed it off as needless worry. Now, however, I'm starting to think that she was right. I'm becoming angry and jealous of other women who have any form of contact with Sasuke when I never used to even bat a single eyelash. What the hell is wrong with me?

Kiba starts to whisper in my ear again but all I hear is mumbling. I'm too distracted by the leaving forms of Sasuke and the black haired woman. What the hell is he doing with her? He's supposed to be giving Karin a fair chance! I detach myself from Kiba and turn to him with an apology on my lips, but he analyzes my expression before I even get a chance to speak.

"Let me guess, you have business?" He grunts annoyed.

"Yes, I'm really sorry. How about we meet up over a drink or something?" I take a step away from Kiba and cross my fingers hoping he won't be too upset. He sighs and gives me a nod before stuffing his hands angrily into his pockets.

"Thanks Kiba! Can you tell Tenten I went home early to take care of business?" I wait for his nod of acceptance before turning around and briskly walking towards the entrance of the club.

Once I'm outside I head towards the parking lot where all the expensive cars are kept. I barely make it five feet when I hear muffled sounds coming from the alleyway to the right of the club. I slowly and carefully walk towards it, making sure to be quiet so I don't surprise whatever is making the sounds. I scrunch my eyebrows in thought when the muffled sounds become louder and more distinct. They're wet, sloppy sounds as if something is being sucked on. I peek around the corner and feel my heart drop to the ground and shatter into millions of tiny pieces. The wet, sloppy sounds are coming from Sasuke and the woman making out in the alleyway. Sasuke's hands are gripping onto her petite waist while her hands are shoved under his shirt.

I watch the two be intimate with each other in despair despite my mind telling me to run away. When she begins to unbutton Sasuke's shirt and he doesn't try to stop her, I decide it's time for me to leave. I swivel on my feet and shoot from my position like a rocket. I run to the nearest parked cab and hop in, trying desperately through pathetic sobs to give my address to the taxi driver. I can tell I'm making him uncomfortable because he fidgets in his seat.

Once I'm in my apartment I lock the door and head straight for my room. My parents have left me a sticky note on my bedroom door saying they've gone home for the night and will return the next day to continue helping me unpack. I'm thankful that they're not present to see me like this. My whole life my parents have been telling me to be strong, expecting me to overcome my weaknesses and to not shed a tear for anyone or anything. It'd be a shame if they saw me now.

It's not until I'm in the safety of my room that I let the dam break and allow the tears to fall. I wipe them away angrily, disgusted with my lapse in willpower and with the saltiness of my tears. Why the hell am I so sad? I didn't cry when I caught him and Karin about to fuck on his office desk, so why am I bawling now? It doesn't make any sense.

Suddenly, I feel like all the energy has been drained from my body and I want nothing more than to curl up on my king sized bed and sleep away all my useless pain so I can wake up new and refreshed. I climb onto my bed and snuggle under the covers, uncaring of whether my dress becomes crumpled. Five minutes later, after crying really hard, I hear rapid loud knocks on my door followed by my name being called. It's Sasuke. He's telling me to open the door but shut him out. I close my eyes again and try to drift back to sleep, but the sound of heavy footsteps causes them to shoot open again. I stare at my bedroom door, unbelieving that Sasuke is actually in my apartment. When the footsteps become even louder I scramble out of my bed and make a mad dash for the door, wanting to lock it before Sasuke comes in. Just as my fingertip touches the lock, he barges in breathing heavily and his heady scent invades my nostrils.

"Sakura—"

I don't give him a chance to speak. I glance down at my hand and allow the redness of my palm to fuel my anger. It's going to be a long night.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was not easy hashing it out, trust me. Please forgive any slight spelling or grammatical errors, as well as any inconsistencies with the plot. If anything seems disorganized or inappropriately used, please do not hesitate to inform me so I can make the necessary changes. I hope to update faster than before since I actually have quite a bit of time on my hands now that summer vacation is only a week away. Until next chapter!**


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